Remarkable Bull Crap or Something Real?
answering some frequently asked questions ABout What Grass-Fed Really Means.
Grass-fed beef is a popular choice if you’re seeking a more natural and sustainable option for your meat consumption. Unlike grain-fed cattle, grass-fed cattle are raised on a diet of grass and forage, resulting in beef that is reported to offer higher nutritional value and supports environmentally friendly farming practices.
Next, we'll address common questions about the benefits, taste and production of grass-fed beef to help you make an informed choice.
WHAT IS GRASS-FED BEEF?
Since you are what you eat eats, understanding what our cattle, and your beef, consume is important to understand.
100% grass-fed beef comes from cattle that eat a diet of only grass and other plant forages -- the food they’re designed to eat.
The cattle at the North Coast Ranch only eat native grasses, wildflowers, small shrubs, legumes and harvested hay grown in the fertile and mineral rich soils along the shores of Lake Michigan.
As a ruminant animal, cattle are healthiest when they eat grass. The resulting beef on your plate is healthier and tastes how beef is supposed to taste.
Note: Beef can be labeled “grass-fed” without being 100% grass-fed. Most conventional beef, what you usually find on the shelf, is "grain-finished". These cattle may have eaten grass for a portion of their lives but are then given a diet of corn or grain to quickly and dramatically fatten them up. This feeding often takes place in small, densely packed feedlots.
WHAT IS GRASS-FINISHED BEEF AND HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM GRASS-FED BEEF?
Grass-finished beef has eaten grass its entire life; that is, they are 100% grass-fed.
Technically, all cattle begin as grass-fed, but most are finished on grain or corn.
The USDA doesn’t have a standard requirement for what is labeled “grass-fed.” When searching for truly grass-fed beef, look for “100% grass-fed” or “grass-finished”.
WHAT IS FREE-RANGE BEEF?
Since you likely care about animal welfare and humanely-raised meat, paying attention to this label may be important to you.
Free range beef, or pasture-raised beef, means cattle are free to roam and graze on open fields, the way nature intended.
Free range cattle are never confined to feedlots. Each of our animals has an average of 2.2 acres of land to graze.
Note: 100% grass-fed beef is not necessarily free range, and vice versa. Cattle can still be fed grass-pellets, in feedlots, and be called 100% grass-fed. Conversely, cattle may live on pasture their whole lives but be fed corn or grain in a feed bunk.
Confused yet?
WHAT IS A FEEDLOT?
Feedlots are also known as Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
Here, cattle are packed together in unnatural, stressful and often unsanitary quarters to be “finished” or fattened up for harvest.
They are fed corn, grain, by-products, even candy (yes, gummy bears and chocolate) to up their weight as quickly and cheaply as possible.
This typically last months and can last as long as one-third of the animal’s life.
IS GRASS-FED BEEF HEALTHIER FOR YOU?
While we make no claims that eating 100% grass-fed beef will make you healthy, many studies suggest that organic food is more nutritious, and that pesticides in food may be a health hazard
When cattle eat their natural diet of grass, the beef is functionally different. Compared to conventional beef, grass-fed beef is leaner, lower in calories and higher in vitamins and nutrients. Higher in Omega-3s and CLA, beta carotene, Vitamin E, B vitamins, the list goes on.
DOES GRASS-FED BEEF TASTE DIFFERENT?
Most people that have only eaten conventional beef may notice that grass-fed beef tastes different. The cattle's diet of only grass vs. grain or corn often results in a “true beef” flavor. Grass-fed beef simply tastes like real beef.
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Learn more: how to purchase grass-fed beef or BUY NOW.