Our family farming history began with my great-great-... (nine generations ago) grandfather Johannes. He, his wife and three children left Saxony, Germany, on April 20, 1734, aboard the ship St. Andrew, mastered by Capt. John Stedman. They landed at Philadelphia on Sept. 22 and eventually settled our family’s first "New World" farm near Society Run in Frederick Township, Montgomery County, Pa., in 1743. Pig farming was our family’s specialty until the mid 1950s. A lot has changed since then. Our BQA cow–calf operation includes 100% grass-fed registered Red Angus, Hereford and purebred Beefalo; 30 to 35 pastured Duroc and Spot pigs; 100 Freedom Ranger broilers; and 90 Golden Comet and Buff Orpington layers. We organically maintain 80 acres, comprising 15 acres in rotational pastures, 15 acres in tillable cropland, and alfalfa/mixed grass hay on the balance. We have never used chemical pesticides or herbicides on our pastures or hay fields. We are not a "certified" organic farming operation, but we prefer the natural/organic approach to help promote sustainability.
Why do you still question me?
Aug 11, 2014
Pure & Simple
100% Grass-fed meat contains more antioxidants, omega-3’s, CLA, TVA, trace minerals, and vitamins than any other food, including "conventional" meats derived from livestock that are fed a grain diet such as corn, soy & silage.
As you’re about to learn, consuming 100% Grass-fed meat is one of the best ways to prevent disease, improve brain function, lose weight, and be more heart healthy.
Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential component of nerve tissue. They modify how the body responds to stress and control numerous other metabolic processes. Most people eat too many omega-6 fats and not enough omega-3.
CLA is a type of naturally occurring trans-fatty acid that improves brain function, causes weight loss, and reduces your risk of cancer. What a steer eats dictates how much of these compounds are in the meat.
Recently researchers compared the fatty acid compositions of three kinds of feeding. Each group contained 18 beef cattle. The 1st group was fed grains for 80 days before slaughter, group #2 was fed "by-product feedstuff" for 200 days, and group #3 was 100% Grass-fed.
Group #1: Short Term Grain Feeding (80 days)
Group #2: Long Term Feedlot Rations* (150-200 days)
Group #3: 100% Grass Feeding (Life time)
*The "Feedlot" rations were made of 50 percent barley and/or sorghum (a type of wheat) and some form of cottonseed/protein mix: A mixture of grains.
The 100% Grass-fed cows had more omega-3’s and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Just 80 days of grain feeding was enough to destroy the omega-3 content of the beef. CLA content plummeted in the same amount of time. The longer the animals were fed grains, the lower the quality of the meat.
The omega-3 quantity in grain-fed meat was so low, it didn’t qualify as a meaningful dietary source.
The 100% Grass-fed meat has enough omega-3 to be considered a good source of n-3 fats. The total amount of omega-3 we need is small if you have a good omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Therefore, eating grass-fed meat along with some fatty fish may be enough to cover your omega-3 needs.
Grain feeding significantly reduces the omega-3 and CLA content of meat. The feedlot cattle had the lowest levels, the grain-fed cattle were in the middle, and the grass-fed cattle had the most.
The longer an animal is fed grains, the lower the nutrient content of the meat.
Grain-fed beef is much lower in omega-3’s and CLA
The longer steers are fed grains, the lower the omega-3 and CLA content.
Feedlot cattle have the lowest amount of omega-3‘s. Regular grain-fed cattle are slightly better.
The last part of a cow’s life is the most critical in terms of fat quality.
Meat can be a good source of omega-3’s, if it’s 100% Grass-fed. Grain-fed meat has lower levels, so you’ll need to eat a lot of cold water ocean fish or take fish oil supplements to reach your daily omega-3 requirements.
100% Grass-fed meat has more healthy fats than grain-fed meat.