Grass fed vs. commercially raised

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  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    lithezebra wrote: »
    @lithezebra Why don't you trust Mother Earth News? Too hippy?

    @Need2Exerc1se , Not enough science. For example, they are very sketchy on scientific details when they call herbal remedies "safe and effective," then list herbs that have known interactions with other medications. I have no patience with that kind of "advice."

    OIC Well, they are a homesteading, going off the grid site, so ...
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    lithezebra wrote: »
    @lithezebra Why don't you trust Mother Earth News? Too hippy?

    @Need2Exerc1se , Not enough science. For example, they are very sketchy on scientific details when they call herbal remedies "safe and effective," then list herbs that have known interactions with other medications. I have no patience with that kind of "advice."

    OIC Well, they are a homesteading, going off the grid site, so ...

    Long haired, tree hugging, Berkenstock wearing, grannola munching, pot smoking, dreadlock and tiedyed hippy site. ;)
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    lithezebra wrote: »
    @lithezebra Why don't you trust Mother Earth News? Too hippy?

    @Need2Exerc1se , Not enough science. For example, they are very sketchy on scientific details when they call herbal remedies "safe and effective," then list herbs that have known interactions with other medications. I have no patience with that kind of "advice."

    OIC Well, they are a homesteading, going off the grid site, so ...

    Long haired, tree hugging, Berkenstock wearing, grannola munching, pot smoking, dreadlock and tiedyed hippy site. ;)

    Exactly. I love that site. B)
  • lkokot
    lkokot Posts: 80 Member
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    Joe Rogan had the guys that created Cowspiracy and they explained this topic which was quite interesting; I recommend listening to it. It's one of the more recent Podcasts.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    He has an in-house slaughter operation too?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    The article in my OP did not single beef out. They tested other meats.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    He has an in-house slaughter operation too?

    No. We have another gentlemen who has his own slaughterhouse and he processes all the beef that particular farmer sells in a given year. He is a professional butcher who works on his own for that limited processing during the cold months of the year. Converted his garage into a walk in with a clean room for processing. Again, long time acquaintances from being in the farming industry for years. I realize many people don't have these contacts. it just works for us.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    The article in my OP did not single beef out. They tested other meats.

    I was just speaking in generalities. my humble opinion and with that and 3 bucks you can buy a happy meal. :)
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    The article in my OP did not single beef out. They tested other meats.

    I was just speaking in generalities. my humble opinion and with that and 3 bucks you can buy a happy meal. :)

    Happy Meals make me sad.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    He has an in-house slaughter operation too?

    No. We have another gentlemen who has his own slaughterhouse and he processes all the beef that particular farmer sells in a given year. He is a professional butcher who works on his own for that limited processing during the cold months of the year. Converted his garage into a walk in with a clean room for processing. Again, long time acquaintances from being in the farming industry for years. I realize many people don't have these contacts. it just works for us.

    I asked because the majority of cows killed for locally raised beef on small operations are still being slaughtered and processed within the commercial slaughterhouse systems (due to price, regulations, etc). Most small farmers don't have access to the type of slaughterhouse that you describe, so even knowing where your food comes from and buying locally won't allow most consumers to avoid giant slaughterhouse operations and any compromising related to the healthfulness of the meat and the suffering of the animal that goes on there.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    He has an in-house slaughter operation too?

    No. We have another gentlemen who has his own slaughterhouse and he processes all the beef that particular farmer sells in a given year. He is a professional butcher who works on his own for that limited processing during the cold months of the year. Converted his garage into a walk in with a clean room for processing. Again, long time acquaintances from being in the farming industry for years. I realize many people don't have these contacts. it just works for us.

    My former father-in-law used to have a pasture for a couple cows and he lived in a big hunting are so they had a mobile butcher who would provide full slaughtering and butchering services. I'm wondering how many areas have such businesses.
  • BenOsen3
    BenOsen3 Posts: 121 Member
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    lithezebra wrote: »
    I don't trust Mother Earth News, but this is worth checking out in a more reputable source. Besides eating dairy and meat that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, I buy cooking oils that are high in monounsaturated fat, like olive and sunflower, and low in polyunsaturated fats.

    I, too, like leaner, chewier, grass-fed beef, although I buy the fattier 85/15 grass-fed ground beef and it's yummy.

    Same here....I'll take the extra bit of fat in the 85.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    He has an in-house slaughter operation too?

    No. We have another gentlemen who has his own slaughterhouse and he processes all the beef that particular farmer sells in a given year. He is a professional butcher who works on his own for that limited processing during the cold months of the year. Converted his garage into a walk in with a clean room for processing. Again, long time acquaintances from being in the farming industry for years. I realize many people don't have these contacts. it just works for us.

    My former father-in-law used to have a pasture for a couple cows and he lived in a big hunting are so they had a mobile butcher who would provide full slaughtering and butchering services. I'm wondering how many areas have such businesses.

    We are fortunate. this butcher is just a fantastic human being along with being in the processing industry where he teaches and does seminars and the like. We just trust explicitly both the farmer and the butcher so the larger outlay of cash at the beginning is well worth the months of benefit we get. I share a side of beef with another friend so we share equally in both the front and hind quarter cuts. just a system that works. Makes me more comfortable with consuming the "dreaded" red meat :wink:
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    He has an in-house slaughter operation too?

    No. We have another gentlemen who has his own slaughterhouse and he processes all the beef that particular farmer sells in a given year. He is a professional butcher who works on his own for that limited processing during the cold months of the year. Converted his garage into a walk in with a clean room for processing. Again, long time acquaintances from being in the farming industry for years. I realize many people don't have these contacts. it just works for us.

    My former father-in-law used to have a pasture for a couple cows and he lived in a big hunting are so they had a mobile butcher who would provide full slaughtering and butchering services. I'm wondering how many areas have such businesses.

    The same place that processes deer during hunting season will process hogs and cattle in our area.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    He has an in-house slaughter operation too?

    No. We have another gentlemen who has his own slaughterhouse and he processes all the beef that particular farmer sells in a given year. He is a professional butcher who works on his own for that limited processing during the cold months of the year. Converted his garage into a walk in with a clean room for processing. Again, long time acquaintances from being in the farming industry for years. I realize many people don't have these contacts. it just works for us.

    My former father-in-law used to have a pasture for a couple cows and he lived in a big hunting are so they had a mobile butcher who would provide full slaughtering and butchering services. I'm wondering how many areas have such businesses.

    The same place that processes deer during hunting season will process hogs and cattle in our area.

    Makes sense but this guy had a mobile unit so would perform the services on site as long as the client had the proper slaughter and hanging facilities. Made it more expensive but my father-in-law loved the convinience, plus he already used him for game meat so it was a nice bonus.
  • angerelle
    angerelle Posts: 175 Member
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    So do all your cows live indoors? Cows over here in the UK are outdoors most of the year eating grass and supplementary feeds, then come indoors in the winter and are fed on silage instead of grass.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    angerelle wrote: »
    So do all your cows live indoors? Cows over here in the UK are outdoors most of the year eating grass and supplementary feeds, then come indoors in the winter and are fed on silage instead of grass.

    Do you mean in America? Why would you think cows lived indoors here? I think most cattle ranchers have barns that the cows are in sometimes but I don't think it would be practical to keep cattle inside all the time. Except for calves used for veal. :(
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    I was raised on a farm. always had a freezer full of beef. Still buy from a family friend raising black angus beef. When he selects his cattle for processing, they leave the field and he confines them to the pen and feeds them hay and "chop" which is a ground mixture of grains with some vitamin supplements. Never antibiotics or any hormone type supplements. Works for me and i'm not going to speculate this vs that. Not "fatty" as some may claim on that type of diet. just good tasting home grown beef.

    Sometimes i think its marketing that takes some small shred of scientific evidence and they run with it and embellish it for their financial gain.

    I'm a proponent of knowing where your food comes from and buying local if possible as opposed to giant slaughter house foods where there is probably more danger and unhealthiness in the processing than there is on what diet the beef/chicken/turkey/mahi mahi ;) was raised on.

    feel like we tend to single beef out and it stands to reason that all animal sources fall suspect to the almighty $$ where its king vs ethical production of animals for human consumption. /end rant

    He has an in-house slaughter operation too?

    No. We have another gentlemen who has his own slaughterhouse and he processes all the beef that particular farmer sells in a given year. He is a professional butcher who works on his own for that limited processing during the cold months of the year. Converted his garage into a walk in with a clean room for processing. Again, long time acquaintances from being in the farming industry for years. I realize many people don't have these contacts. it just works for us.

    I asked because the majority of cows killed for locally raised beef on small operations are still being slaughtered and processed within the commercial slaughterhouse systems (due to price, regulations, etc). Most small farmers don't have access to the type of slaughterhouse that you describe, so even knowing where your food comes from and buying locally won't allow most consumers to avoid giant slaughterhouse operations and any compromising related to the healthfulness of the meat and the suffering of the animal that goes on there.

    This has been an issue discussed locally here (because apparently meat processing for small producers is limited in this state), and a number of smaller local farms have started their own on-site processing.

    http://chicagoist.com/2015/04/13/a_discussion_on_scaling_up_local_me.php

  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    angerelle wrote: »
    So do all your cows live indoors? Cows over here in the UK are outdoors most of the year eating grass and supplementary feeds, then come indoors in the winter and are fed on silage instead of grass.

    Even feedlots are outdoor facilities to my knowledge. Cows don't particuarly need much in the way of shelter until winter and most family farms graze their herds during the warm months, brining them into the barn at night. I think our methods are pretty similar.