Facts About A Grass-Fed Beef Farms

By Minnie Whitley


Before 1990, many ranchers were fond of fattening their animals on grain and soy among other supplements. They did so by taking the animals in the feedlots, where such food was provided. However, there has been a growing trend among farmers in keeping them on ranges at home where they feed on their native diet, pasture. Grass-fed beef farms are simply farms that entirely feed their animals on grass.

These ranchers do not resort to hormone treatment of their animals and neither do they feed them with growth promoting additives. This treatment is responsible for the growth of the animals at a natural pace. They hence live a low stress life which makes them very healthy and needless of antibiotic or any other drug treatment.

The main importance of this sort of farming is derived from its highly nutritious and healthy products. Pasture fed beef, when compared with grain fed beef; contain far less aggregate fat, calories, cholesterol and saturated fat. It has high content of beta carotene and vitamins E and C in addition to other healthy fats.

The omega 3 contained in this meat is said to be very healthy, according to a recent animal study. The fatty acids have the potential of slowing down the rate growth of a wide variety of cancers, eliminating them from spreading. In case of cancer surgery, the acids help hasten the recovery process.

The study also highlights that the cancer patients that contain more fatty acids in their tissue have a high response rate to chemotherapy. The individuals having low levels respond in a slow manner as far as the test is concerned. These substances are formed in the chloroplast of the green leaves and grass and that is why they are more rampant in natural fed animal beef.

The practice, however requires knowledge and skill as opposed to just sending the animals to a feedlot. In order for the pasture fed animals to be more succulent and tender, they need to feed on grass and legumes of high quality. This is particularly the case in the months before the slaughter. This natural and nutritious diet relies on a healthy soil, together with a careful pasture management to maintain the plants at an optimal growth stage. The quality of the pasture is the sole determiner of the quality of animal products. It is therefore important for the farmer to raise great grass.

Grain fed farming is cheap and less involving which makes their produce correspondingly cheap and within reach. The practice is however marred by the environmental and human implications it associates with. It often uses antibiotics and hormones which leaves the animals very stressed and also abused. The consumers of such produce face the risk of consuming less nutritious and unhealthy food.

There is often a fallacious argument that natural based farming is unprofitable and time consuming. Though it is a fact that this farming is slow, expensive and relatively unprofitable it remains the most balanced and healthy system. The decision on what to consume entirely rest with the consumer, but be enlightened that products resulting from natural farming are nutritious and healthy. Opting for them not only boosts the health of your family, but also depletes environmental degradation.




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