The grass-fed beef article in the April/May 2009 Mother Earth News is remarkable. As Christie pointed out in a comment yesterday, the article “wonderfully affirmed God’s wisdom in the complexity of animals and plants needing each other for success.” The author didn’t name God, but we know that this complexity and dependency was His design.
Do you know the amazing benefits of grass-fed beef? I admit, I really didn’t. I mean, I knew that grass-fed beef is healthier, in that it is leaner, has lower omega-6 fats, and higher omega-3 fats. But I didn’t know anything else. I am astonished at the benefits to our land and economy.
Here is the extensive list of benefits offered by the article’s author, Richard Manning (the author of eight books, including Rewilding the West and Against the Grain):
- more humane livestock system
- a healthier human diet
- less deadly E. coli
- elimination of feedlots
- a bonanza of wildlife habitat nationwide
- enormous savings in energy
- virtual elimination of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on those lands
- elimination of catastrophic flooding that periodically plagues the Mississippi Basin
- a dramatic reduction in global warming gases
Of note, I thought it mind boggling to consider this. We now have 150 million acres of corn and soybean crops, more than half of which goes to feed livestock. These crops experience declining soil quality year by year, requiring inputs of fertilizers and pesticides. Let’s not even mention the low nutritional quality of the meat that is “finished” off these crops. If just half of these crops — the half that feeds the livestock — were instead converted to managed pasture for grass-fed livestock, we would not only produce healthy meat, but we would be improving the quality of the land year by year, without losing money or decreasing production.
This is a win-win situation.
It proves that God’s design for the world works. As the author points out,
“We are slowly learning that human enterprises work best when they mimic nature’s diversity. … Handled right, animals control weeds and insects, cycle nutrients, and provide a use for waste and failed crops. Healthy ecosystems — wild and domestic — must include animals.”
Any thoughts? Please share!
About Wardeh
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One thing that is fascinating to me is how God designed these animals to thrive where it is difficult to grow cultivated plants, so locations worldwide that cannot sustain plant agriculture can provide high quality food for local populations.
Thanks for these interesting tidbits, Wardeh!
I want to add something for your readers who are skeptical about the costs of grass fed beef: It is more affordable than you might think!
Try and find a rancher in your area who sells grass fed animals. A side of beef seems expensive when you pay for it up front, but it’s sure nice to have a year’s worth of beef tucked away and over that year, the cost is comparable to buying supermarket beef.
But the taste and the health benefits make it an absolute bargain! And, having it on hand means we always have someting to make for dinner so less chance of opening bare cupboards and opting for convenience foods.
Maybe not everyone can do this, but I encourage you to look into it. I think you will find it less expensive than you imagined. Our first time I ended up with only 1/8 of a beef and it easily fit into my small freezer atop my fridge. The next time I bought 1/4 and this year we plan to buy a whole side. We are looking at small freezers and they are less expensive than I thought they’d be. (I will also be able to use one for storing more fruit this summer as well as other bulk foods (grains, nuts) so a freezer is a great investment outside of the beef issue.)
You may need to find a friend to go in on your first beef purchase, but you will probably want it all to yourself the second time!
Gabrielle, that is great encouragement. I’m so glad you shared this! Like you, we have had the same experience with a local rancher. One year, we bought 1/2 a beef. The next, a whole. Now we’re back to a half, but only because we found other local meats (chickens and turkeys). This year, we are raising our own cow, sharing him with friends. Sure hope he turns out!
If anyone is in the Roseburg area of Oregon, I can get you in touch with the rancher who has provided our beef for the last 3 years.
Last summer I ordered 1/8 grass fed beef. I should be getting it this summer. I never thought I would have to put my name on a waitlist, but I did! I did a search online and came up with a local farmer–so no shipping costs. Since I have never had grass fed beef before, what should I expect? This farm has gotten good reviews for its beef–so that is encouraging.
Janet, that is fabulous! I’m very happy for you! You should expect a “seasoned” flavor that I suppose comes from the grass. It is delicious!
The rancher that provides our beef advises his customers to not overcook steaks to avoid toughening, even keeping the beef somewhat rare. Our family doesn’t really enjoy steak, so I usually opt to have the tougher steaks and roasts (round, etc.) ground up into round and the nicer steaks (sirloin, etc.) and some roasts cut up into stew meat. I keep the fine steaks as is.
In general, I always choose low and long cooking methods — a simmering stew for hours, or slow-cooking in liquid in the crockpot. Our beef tastes wonderful and has a wonderful texture! The ground beef I brown as one normally would, in a cast-iron skillet. That seasoned flavor adds so much to the dishes.
Gabrielle, who posted above, has perfected steaks, I hear! I hope she will come back and let us know what she has learned about barbecuing grass-fed beef. Gabrielle?
yes we were a little leary about grilling our grass fed steaks because we had always heard they need to slow cook. but we had the best ever t-bones last time!
we just do a simple rub of herbs and spices with just enough olive oil to help it all spread. we didnt use super high heat and we didnt over cook them.
we also LOVE the burgers which we mix with garlic, fresh ground pepper, sea salt, onion powder, etc and grill.
but the main thing we discovered this year was natural charcoal! it is just charcolized chunks of wood. very light, and oddly shaped. nothing at all added. totally unlike those hard dense uniformly pressed briquettes that are full of additives and chemicals.
i had never seen them before but now i see them in most grocery stores.
also, we bought a small cyclindrical chimney (about 10 bucks at any hardware or home depot type store) that serves to light the charcoal without having to use lighter fluid or other fire-starters. just fill the cylinder with the natural charcoal, stuff newspaper into the bottom area and light the paper. let it sit and smoke until the charcoal is nice and red, then dump into grill and grill meat when the coals are ready.
simple, fast, and no yucky petro smells.
Gabrielle, I’m so happy you shared your grilling method. I know it will be of help and inspiration to many.