Grass fed beef?

[Rhinoclan]

Anyone have an online resource where they order 100% grass fed beef and that they are happy with?

[dbx]

Originally Posted by Rhinoclan

Anyone have an online resource where they order 100% grass fed beef and that they are happy with?

If I was fed grass all day...I'd be happy too. Just sayin'..........


Umm...no, I don't know, sorry

[Marius_Ursus]

Sorry. I get my grassfed beef from the co-op or from local farmers.

[Rhinoclan]

Originally Posted by dbx

If I was fed grass all day...I'd be happy too. Just sayin'..........


Umm...no, I don't know, sorry

But imagine the amount of brownies you'd eat as well...

[rpaul11]

Originally Posted by Marius_Ursus

Sorry. I get my grassfed beef from the co-op or from local farmers.

all the local farmers I know do grain fed.

[maryinmesquite]

my sister buys from something like laura lean beef or something like that

[Capt_Lou]

I think Michael Phelps is Grass fed...


BTW No wonder why he eats 10K calories a day

[Marius_Ursus]

Originally Posted by rpaul11

all the local farmers I know do grain fed.

http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html

[...Kennedy]

I'm curious- does it really make much of a difference if a steer is fed grass or grain?

Because a lot of cattle are fed both.

I would imagine the use of non-use of hormones is a lot more important than what kind of carbs they ingest, but I don't know, so I figured I'd ask you guys..

[dbx]

Originally Posted by ...Kennedy

I'm curious- does it really make much of a difference if a steer is fed grass or grain?

I would say that it really depends on what kind of tip you're expecting .

[Marius_Ursus]

Originally Posted by ...Kennedy

I'm curious- does it really make much of a difference if a steer is fed grass or grain?

Because a lot of cattle are fed both.

I would imagine the use of non-use of hormones is a lot more important than what kind of carbs they ingest, but I don't know, so I figured I'd ask you guys..

Cellulose levels are higher in grass than in grains. Cellulose is necessary for a cow's digestion. Without high amounts of grasses and greens, cattle need to be fed high amounts of indigestion medicine. They live in a state of digestive distress if fed a diet of exclusively grain. This is inhumane and unethical as well as just bad for humans to eat later on. Stress hormones and those digestive chemicals end up in the meat making it tainted, tougher, and making it lose flavor.

Omega 3s are much higher in grass-fed beef making the meat more digestible and more flavorful.

Around here in the winter months cows' diets are supplemented with grain, but grass is their main food.

[...Kennedy]

Originally Posted by Marius_Ursus

Cellulose levels are higher in grass than in grains. Cellulose is necessary for a cow's digestion. Without high amounts of grasses and greens, cattle need to be fed high amounts of indigestion medicine. They live in a state of digestive distress if fed a diet of exclusively grain. This is inhumane and unethical as well as just bad for humans to eat later on. Stress hormones and those digestive chemicals end up in the meat making it tainted, tougher, and making it lose flavor.

Omega 3s are much higher in grass-fed beef making the meat more digestible and more flavorful.

Around here in the winter months cows' diets are supplemented with grain, but grass is their main food.

Thanks Marius.

TBH, I had never heard of beef cattle being fed only grain before. I assumed that's a lot more expensive than a predominantly hay diet but I guess it depends on location or other factors.

All other things being equal, I would enjoy my steak and roast beef more knowing the cow that provided it led a life free from digestive distress.

[...Kennedy]

Originally Posted by dbx

I would say that it really depends on what kind of tip you're expecting .

ha ha- is that a joke about a cut of beef or waitering? I'm a little slow tonight and can't quite figure out, but am chuckling anyway...

[dbx]

Originally Posted by ...Kennedy

ha ha- is that a joke about a cut of beef or waitering? I'm a little slow tonight and can't quite figure out, but am chuckling anyway...

It was meant as the latter, but I now see it could work both ways . See? You're more alert than I am!

[Old-Time-Lifter]

Originally Posted by Marius_Ursus

Cellulose levels are higher in grass than in grains. Cellulose is necessary for a cow's digestion. Without high amounts of grasses and greens, cattle need to be fed high amounts of indigestion medicine. They live in a state of digestive distress if fed a diet of exclusively grain. This is inhumane and unethical as well as just bad for humans to eat later on. Stress hormones and those digestive chemicals end up in the meat making it tainted, tougher, and making it lose flavor.

Omega 3s are much higher in grass-fed beef making the meat more digestible and more flavorful.

Around here in the winter months cows' diets are supplemented with grain, but grass is their main food.

Cattle will get accustom to a diet high in grain stuffs. Most all rations contain some degree of roughage.

The idea that their diet causes distress and alters stress hormone levels is rubbish in my opinion. And for what it's worth, my degree is in Animal Science.

Nothing inhumane or unethical about this either, that's just nutty!

Nothing beats a good slab of grain fed steer sitting on my plate.

Yum Yum.

[Preacher13]

Originally Posted by Marius_Ursus

Stress hormones and those digestive chemicals end up in the meat making it tainted, tougher, and making it lose flavor.

Omega 3s are much higher in grass-fed beef making the meat more digestible and more flavorful.

Around here in the winter months cows' diets are supplemented with grain, but grass is their main food.

Seems I remember reading somewhere that grass fed beef was higher in CLA, it might have been in a FLEX rag last year. There is a Martins/GIANT grocery here that sells their own branded organic product called Natures Promise. I used to buy that beef on a weekly basis and it was some of the best beef I'd ever eaten. Now I am not sure if it was 100% grass fed, but there was a very different taste and texture compared to the other stuff further down the meat case. It was different enough that I was completely turned off from eating anything less, as far as beef is concerned.

[Marius_Ursus]

Originally Posted by Old-Time-Lifter

Cattle will get accustom to a diet high in grain stuffs. Most all rations contain some degree of roughage.

The idea that their diet causes distress and alters stress hormone levels is rubbish in my opinion. And for what it's worth, my degree is in Animal Science.

Nothing inhumane or unethical about this either, that's just nutty!

Nothing beats a good slab of grain fed steer sitting on my plate.

Yum Yum.

The degree is good, and I appreciate that you've devoted your education to animal biology. However, do you study farming practices and cattle rearing? Do you live close enough to farms to visit them regularly? I do, and I have a LOT of personal friends who raise both cattle and vegetables. I've read many books on farming and humane animal husbandry. I also regularly watch shows and documentaries about the food industry. It's a topic very dear to this farmer-at-heart's heart. I know cattle yardmen give bovine Tums to the cattle because they're not biologically adapted to eating so much corn.

And I disagree about grain-fed beef. I find it waxy and bland. Grass-fed beef hs a lot more flavor.

[Old-Time-Lifter]

Originally Posted by Marius_Ursus

The degree is good, and I appreciate that you've devoted your education to animal biology. However, do you study farming practices and cattle rearing? Do you live close enough to farms to visit them regularly? I do, and I have a LOT of personal friends who raise both cattle and vegetables. I've read many books on farming and humane animal husbandry. I also regularly watch shows and documentaries about the food industry. It's a topic very dear to this farmer-at-heart's heart. I know cattle yardmen give bovine Tums to the cattle because they're not biologically adapted to eating so much corn.

And I disagree about grain-fed beef. I find it waxy and bland. Grass-fed beef hs a lot more flavor.

I grew up on one of the largest Ranches in the Midwest, my Father was one of the highest regard Cattlemen in the USA. We ran thousands of head and fattened them out in our own feedlots. My older brother is one of the top dogs in the National Cattleman's Association. He is one of the dude's that all the magazines call for quotes when ever 'mad cow' or some other goofy thing (or grass fed beef) hits the news.

I'd be happy to get his opinion for you.

(I'd be willing to bet I've branded more cattle than you've ever seen in your whole life!)

[Rhinoclan]

If you look at the fatty acid profile, 100% grass fed beef is 3:1 Omega 6 to Omega 3 at the worst, most closer to 1.5:1, while commercialy raised is in the neighborhood of 12:1.

I love corn fed beef, love the marbling and the nutty flavors, but am looking for something a little healthier, considering heart disease runs rampant in my family.

If you have a trader joes in the area they have some very good angus grass fed beef. Love it.

[Marius_Ursus]

Originally Posted by Old-Time-Lifter

I grew up on one of the largest Ranches in the Midwest, my Father was one of the highest regard Cattlemen in the USA. We ran thousands of head and fattened them out in our own feedlots. My older brother is one of the top dogs in the National Cattleman's Association. He is one of the dude's that all the magazines call for quotes when ever 'mad cow' or some other goofy thing (or grass fed beef) hits the news.

I'd be happy to get his opinion for you.

I'll be honest with you about this. No amount of expertise is going to change my mind any more than it will yours. I'm prejudiced against grain fed beef, and whether it's logical or emotional, I'm always going to go with grassfed, pasture-raised cattle over stockade corn-fed beef.

[Rhinoclan]

Originally Posted by aneas

If you have a trader joes in the area they have some very good angus grass fed beef. Love it.

We do have one. I'll check it out. Thanks.

[Old-Time-Lifter]

Originally Posted by Marius_Ursus

I'll be honest with you about this. No amount of expertise is going to change my mind any more than it will yours. I'm prejudiced against grain fed beef, and whether it's logical or emotional, I'm always going to go with grassfed, pasture-raised cattle over stockade corn-fed beef.

One of the problems with the world is folks coming to an uneducated opinion and NOT being willing to listen to someone who knows more about the subject than they do.

Grass fed beef is good, I'll give you that. But to go and slam traditionally fed beef is just ignorant! And to call it inhumane makes my blood boil!

You feel like you're a farmer at heart, well I'm a farmer/rancher by blood/breeding/upbringing (not to mention by degree) and only left the business due to my ex-wife not liking the life style and wanting to live in the big city. She cost me millions by the way!

[Old-Time-Lifter]

Originally Posted by Rhinoclan

If you look at the fatty acid profile, 100% grass fed beef is 3:1 Omega 6 to Omega 3 at the worst, most closer to 1.5:1, while commercialy raised is in the neighborhood of 12:1.

I love corn fed beef, love the marbling and the nutty flavors, but am looking for something a little healthier, considering heart disease runs rampant in my family.

Now that's fair enough.

I get my beef from family, so I'm no help to you.

I will ask my brother for a good source for you however.

Trust me if anyone is anyone in the Cattle business in the USA he knows them and they know him.

[Rhinoclan]

Originally Posted by Old-Time-Lifter

Now that's fair enough.

I get my beef from family, so I'm no help to you.

I will ask my brother for a good source for you however.

Trust me if anyone is anyone in the Cattle business in the USA he knows them and they know him.

Thanks. That would be a huge help.

[Marius_Ursus]

Originally Posted by Old-Time-Lifter

One of the problems with the world is folks coming to an uneducated opinion and NOT being willing to listen to someone who knows more about the subject than they do.

Grass fed beef is good, I'll give you that. But to go and slam traditionally fed beef is just ignorant! And to call it inhumane makes my blood boil!

You feel like you're a farmer at heart, well I'm a farmer/rancher by blood/breeding/upbringing (not to mention by degree) and only left the business due to my ex-wife not liking the life style and wanting to live in the big city. She cost me millions by the way!

My heart goes out to you for your experiences. THankfully my wife is behind me 100% in my desire to drop out of the rat race and get into agriculture and get back to the way I was brought up.

I have no intention to make your blood boil, and I think there's a big difference between you and your kin's method of cattle rearing and what the folks at Cargill and Swift and all those guys do. You must know what I'm talking about with the thousands of head crammed into pens, standing in their own feces, no room to move around, being pumped full of corn and medicines. It's well documented in Fast Food Nation (the book, not the movie, although the movie is a pretty good fictitious adaptation) and the Slow Food Society and other groups that advocate at least knowing where your food comes from.

The majority of famers, probably all farmers not affiliated with the conglomerates for that matter, love their plants and animals. It's the giants who care more about numbers than about the food itself I'm talking about when I talk about inhumane treatment. What concerns me is when I ask the guy at the butcher counter where the meat came from, and he can't tell me. I somehow doubt it's from the guy in Middleburgh who sells me his asparagus every spring.

My own livestock, when I get them, will be kept in a pasture and fed grains over the winter when grass is scarce...and probably fed a mixture of corn and sorghum and oats while they're being milked, the way my mama taught me. (I'm talking goats here. )

[Old-Time-Lifter]

I've not seen that book or movie. I'm sure both were financed by some unbiased group.......... like PETA or something.

Certainly, we loved all our little animals......... gave them all names (I fondly remember Suzie 6026), tucked them all into their private stalls at night and piped in classical music.......... they seemed to really like Bach....... rubbed their little hooves and kissed them all good night.

As far as the manure, if I had a dollar for every time I told them (the cattle) to please go 'poopoo & peepee' in the northwest corner of the pen and lay down in the southeast corner, well I wouldn't have to work for a living..........

Did I mention that my family are cattlemen and not frick'in hippies or hobby farmers!! For crying out loud cattle chit where ever they are when they feel the need to chit! Cattlemen DO NOT put their animals under undue stress!(such as over crowding and other stressors) Stress cuts down your daily rate of gain, and that cuts your profits! You would not believe the depth of science involved in bringing cattle to market, there has been endless research and study done. If you want some valid information on feedlots subscribe to the 'Beef' magazine. My dad always had in sent to me, in fact it still comes but my wife tosses it half the time. I'm sure it will stop coming soon since Dad has been gone for over a year now........

[Marius_Ursus]

Originally Posted by Old-Time-Lifter

I've not seen that book or movie. I'm sure both were financed by some unbiased group.......... like PETA or something.

Certainly, we loved all our little animals......... gave them all names (I fondly remember Suzie 6026), tucked them all into their private stalls at night and piped in classical music.......... they seemed to really like Bach....... rubbed their little hooves and kissed them all good night.

As far as the manure, if I had a dollar for every time I told them (the cattle) to please go 'poopoo & peepee' in the northwest corner of the pen and lay down in the southeast corner, well I wouldn't have to work for a living..........

Did I mention that my family are cattlemen and not frick'in hippies or hobby farmers!! For crying out loud cattle chit where ever they are when they feel the need to chit! Cattlemen DO NOT put their animals under undue stress!(such as over crowding and other stressors) Stress cuts down your daily rate of gain, and that cuts your profits! You would not believe the depth of science involved in bringing cattle to market, there has been endless research and study done. If you want some valid information on feedlots subscribe to the 'Beef' magazine. My dad always had in sent to me, in fact it still comes but my wife tosses it half the time. I'm sure it will stop coming soon since Dad has been gone for over a year now........

OK

[jellodirt]

Originally Posted by Rhinoclan

Anyone have an online resource where they order 100% grass fed beef and that they are happy with?

Local farmer here too. Check around, you'll find one. Start by checking with local butchers...

[Old-Time-Lifter]

Originally Posted by jellodirt

Local farmer here too. Check around, you'll find one. Start by checking with local butchers...

That's good advice right there. There are still a 'few' of the old style butchers around.