You know, we get this question a lot at Buck Creek… “Why should I eat grass-fed beef?” “Why is it so important?” “I’ve heard eating grain-fed is just fine!”
At the end of the day, you can find an article online to support anything. And maybe they’re right… as long as you’re eating a balanced diet, you’ll probably be alright.
But what if you don’t want to just be alright? I don’t want to live the rest of my life “fine.”
I want to be heart healthy. Cancer-free. Living the best that I can while I’m on God’s green earth, and I bet you want that too. This is why we focus on creating a choice environment for our cattle and we make sure to only grass-feed and grass-finish our cattle.
What is the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef?
Generally put, grass-fed beef is raised on grass, and grain-fed beef is raised on grain, but that seems obvious so let’s break it down a little.
Most cattle in the US are generally raised on mother’s milk and allowed to roam on pastureland and allowed to eat what they find in their environment, but after about seven months, there’s a shift in how the calves are raised.
At this point, most conventional farms then move their cattle to feedlots called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) where an animal used to grazing open pastures is limited to a small stall and the way they are fed is changed drastically from wild grasses foraged from their environment to grain-based feeds mostly made from soy or corn with maybe some supplementation of dried grass. This grain-based feed is used to fatten them up quickly so they can be processed even faster. (Source: Healthline.com)
This might not be wholly true for every conventional operation—every business has its own unique way of running—but this is the general operation.
The supplemental dried grass both at the beginning of life and tacked on right before processing is one of the reasons why grass-fed is so hard to define and why doing your research is so important, but that’s another topic for another day. To avoid any confusion though, at the very least check that the label says 100% grass-fed.
How we define grass-fed/grass-finished beef…
At Buck Creek, we still allow our calves to be raised on mother’s milk and allow them to roam freely to forage from a healthy environment. Sixty to ninety days before processing, we move them to a new pasture—one of our best pastures.
The best things in life often take more time. That’s the thought here.
Two to three months before processing, we move our cattle to pastures that are veritable salad bowls of grass. They forage on a mixture of ryegrass, hairy vetch, winter peas, and groundhog radish. At this point in an animal’s life, it’s important that they receive a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, and various nutrients that help support building the right level of nutrients in the meat you will one day eat.
Three Reasons Grass-Fed Beef is “Better”
Have you ever heard the old adage “you are what you eat?” The same can be said for cattle. So let’s dive into the science for just a moment...
Cattle present the product of their diet in the quality of the meat they produce. Just as a diet of whole foods and vegetables is good for the human body, so it is for the bovine body.
Grass-fed and grass-finished beef is higher in nutrients, antioxidants, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids known as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Combined, these nutrients keep your body healthy and can elevate your immunity—even against cancer.
Grass-fed beef contains higher levels of vitamin A precursors (like beta carotene); vitamins B3, B12, and B6; as well as vitamin E all of which work together to help your muscles regenerate after workouts, boost your brain activity, and protect the cells in your skin, hair, and nails from oxidation. In short, these vitamins keep you young and healthy.
And who doesn’t want that?
So what are your options?
First, you have to decide for yourself what’s best for you and your family. We can’t tell you what to eat—you’re going to make your own decisions based on what is most important to you and what you have available near you. (Though we do have more than a few tasty recipes here on the blog…)
But if you do decide that grass-fed beef is right for you—which, good choice to take care of your health in this way—here at Buck Creek Meats, we have a couple of options for you.
Our Meat Subscription Box can be personalized to fit your budget and arrives at your doorstep on your schedule. It takes the convenience factor out of the question and brings what you need right to you.
Or—and this is great if you plan your meals weekly—you can order by-the-cut in our online shop and get exactly what you need and only as much as you need.
Whatever you choose, we at Buck Creek Meats wish you blessings in your health journey!