Grass fed vs. commercially raised
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I typically only purchase local grass fed beef from farms I have visited. We don't eat much beef, but when we do, it's truly grass fed. A grain fed cow has different fat.0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Tomk652015 wrote: »janejellyroll 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
Interesting -- thanks for the link.0 -
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.
As stated above, feedlots are outdoors. More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedlot
I once worked on a case involving alleged market manipulation in the feeder cattle market (you can buy feeder cattle futures).0 -
lemurcat12 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.
As stated above, feedlots are outdoors. More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedlot
I once worked on a case involving alleged market manipulation in the feeder cattle market (you can buy feeder cattle futures).
Commodity futures are something I don't deal with much anymore in my portfolio due to the high leverage and market manipulation as you mentioned but they give farmers certainty for price, at least.0 -
I've been seeing Spring Crossing grass fed beef pop up in stores. It tends to be cheaper than other brands, but not as good. And certainly no where nearly as good as that from a local farmer I had last year.0
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I'm convinced that the "grain fed tastes better" is just a clever marketing strategy by the corn industry. I prefer the flavor of grassfed, if it is sourced and cooked properly.0
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Just watched cowspiracy on netflix. It may taste different but, you should really see how much land would be needed for the entire world to eat grass fed beef. In fact its' kinda scary about meat and feeding the entire population in general.0
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hopeandtheabsurd wrote: »I'm convinced that the "grain fed tastes better" is just a clever marketing strategy by the corn industry. I prefer the flavor of grassfed, if it is sourced and cooked properly.
You think people like it better because they've been told to like it better? I've never even heard or seen an ad saying it tastes better. Where is the need when grain finished is so much cheaper? You don't think it's more likely that it tastes better because it's more familiar?
Honestly I always think people who say grass fed tastes better are just buying into marketing or the idea that it's better for me so I should like it better.0 -
Grass fed i would think has to be cheaper for the farmer and what...costs more in the store? win win not that i'd begrudge income to the farmers of the world.0
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
chickens eat grass?0 -
Tomk652015 wrote: »Grass fed i would think has to be cheaper for the farmer and what...costs more in the store? win win not that i'd begrudge income to the farmers of the world.
I doubt many farmers make more money from grass fed. The grain feed usually comes after the cattle are sold. It would limit what the farmer can feed the cattle though. Not sure if increases cost for them or not.0 -
Tomk652015 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
chickens eat grass?
Absolutely they do. Not only, but yes.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Tomk652015 wrote: »Grass fed i would think has to be cheaper for the farmer and what...costs more in the store? win win not that i'd begrudge income to the farmers of the world.
I doubt many farmers make more money from grass fed. The grain feed usually comes after the cattle are sold. It would limit what the farmer can feed the cattle though. Not sure if increases cost for them or not.
There is a lot of labor and equipment to raise adequate grain to feed a herd of cattle. throwing one in the front lawn next to the chickens seems cheaper
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Tomk652015 wrote: »Grass fed i would think has to be cheaper for the farmer and what...costs more in the store? win win not that i'd begrudge income to the farmers of the world.
I doubt many farmers make more money from grass fed. The grain feed usually comes after the cattle are sold. It would limit what the farmer can feed the cattle though. Not sure if increases cost for them or not.
You need more land per cow for grass fed and the cows need to live about 9 months longer. I'm sure they can charge some premium for it but, I don't know the margins0 -
Tomk652015 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Tomk652015 wrote: »Grass fed i would think has to be cheaper for the farmer and what...costs more in the store? win win not that i'd begrudge income to the farmers of the world.
I doubt many farmers make more money from grass fed. The grain feed usually comes after the cattle are sold. It would limit what the farmer can feed the cattle though. Not sure if increases cost for them or not.
There is a lot of labor and equipment to raise adequate grain to feed a herd of cattle. throwing one in the front lawn next to the chickens seems cheaper
If only that was how it worked. Many cattle ranchers have to grow or buy something like hay to supplement grass. Cows need a lot of room to graze.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Tomk652015 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Tomk652015 wrote: »Grass fed i would think has to be cheaper for the farmer and what...costs more in the store? win win not that i'd begrudge income to the farmers of the world.
I doubt many farmers make more money from grass fed. The grain feed usually comes after the cattle are sold. It would limit what the farmer can feed the cattle though. Not sure if increases cost for them or not.
There is a lot of labor and equipment to raise adequate grain to feed a herd of cattle. throwing one in the front lawn next to the chickens seems cheaper
If only that was how it worked. Many cattle ranchers have to grow or buy something like hay to supplement grass. Cows need a lot of room to graze.
i was almost gonna stop and buy one on my way home tonight. *sigh*0 -
I like grass fed to avoid GMOs(but that is another topic thread somewhere in the forum I'm sure and will leave my beliefs on that separate)0
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Tomk652015 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Tomk652015 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Tomk652015 wrote: »Grass fed i would think has to be cheaper for the farmer and what...costs more in the store? win win not that i'd begrudge income to the farmers of the world.
I doubt many farmers make more money from grass fed. The grain feed usually comes after the cattle are sold. It would limit what the farmer can feed the cattle though. Not sure if increases cost for them or not.
There is a lot of labor and equipment to raise adequate grain to feed a herd of cattle. throwing one in the front lawn next to the chickens seems cheaper
If only that was how it worked. Many cattle ranchers have to grow or buy something like hay to supplement grass. Cows need a lot of room to graze.
i was almost gonna stop and buy one on my way home tonight. *sigh*
Pick up chickens instead.0 -
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