Where Corn Is King, a New Regard for Grass-Fed Beef
July 06, 2013
Story at-a-glance
Grass-fed beef represents a sought-after solution to
unsustainable agricultural practices – one that could not only
drastically reduce pollution but also produce a nutritionally
superior meat
While far from the norm at this point, a new appreciation for
grass-fed meat, and all that it stands for, is steadily growing
and these so-called ‘unconventional’ ranchers are now becoming
mainstays in the industry
Grass-fed beef is higher in certain vitamins and minerals, lower
in total fat, and has a more balanced omega-3 to omega-6 ratio
than grain-fed beef
Grass-fed beef is now widely available via farmer’s markets,
food coops, direct farm-to-consumer sales, and even online
By Dr. Mercola
In the grand scheme of all that is wrong with modern
agriculture, the unnatural transition that turned cattle (which
naturally eat grass) into grain-eating ruminants is at
the top of the list.
In the twisted realm of agribusiness, raising grass-fed cows,
especially in the heart of ‘corn country’ (the Midwest) is now
regarded as a specialty industry “for the crazies,” as the
New York Times recently reported.1
“Where the great cattle herds once roamed, grass
finishing — an intricate and lengthy ballet involving the
balance of protein and energy derived from the stalk, with
the flavor rendered by earth, plants and even stress — is a
nearly lost art.
…said Fred Kirschenmann, a distinguished fellow at
the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State
University… ‘The attitude out there is that grass-fed is for
the crazies.’”
Yet, far from being ‘crazy,’ grass-fed beef represents a
sought-after solution to unsustainable agricultural practices –
one that could not only drastically reduce pollution but also
produce a nutritionally superior meat.
While far from the norm at this point, a new appreciation for
grass-fed meat, and all that it stands for, is steadily growing
and these so-called ‘unconventional’ ranchers are now becoming
mainstays in the industry.
Change to the Cattle Industry Must Come ‘From Educated People
From the Outside’
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), in which the
majority of US beef (and pork, chicken and eggs) is raised,
contribute directly to global warming by releasing vast amounts
of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – in fact, more than the
entire global transportation industry.
They also contribute to climate disruption by their impact on
deforestation and draining of wetlands, and because of the
nitrous oxide emissions from huge amounts of pesticides used to
grow the genetically engineered corn and soy fed to animals
raised in CAFOs.
The cows are fattened for slaughter on giant feed lots as
quickly as possible (on average between 14 and 18 months) with
the help of grains, as CAFOs represent a corporate-controlled
system characterized by large-scale, centralized, low
profit-margin production, processing and distribution systems.
Contrary to popular arguments, factory farming is not a
cheap, efficient solution to world hunger. Feeding huge numbers
of confined animals actually uses more food, in the form of
grains that could feed humans, than it produces. For every 100
food calories of edible crops fed to livestock, we get back just
30 calories in the form of meat and dairy. That’s a
70 percent loss.
With the Earth’s population predicted to reach 9 billion by
mid-century, the planet can no longer afford this reckless,
unhealthy and environmentally disastrous farming system. And as
Prescott Frost, great-grandson of poet Robert Frost who has
entered the grass-fed meat business, told the New York Times:2
“If change is going to come to the cattle industry,
it’s got to come from educated people from the outside,” Mr.
Frost said, quoting from Allan Nation, the publisher of The
Stockman Grass Farmer, considered the grazier’s bible.”
Grass-Fed Beef Is Better for You, Better for the Planet and
Better for the Cows
A joint effort between the US Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and Clemson University researchers determined a total of
10 key areas where grass-fed is better than grain-fed beef for
human health.3
In a side-by-side comparison, they determined that grass-fed
beef was:
Lower in total fat
Higher in beta-carotene
Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium
Higher in total omega-3s
A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids
(1.65 vs 4.84)
Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer
fighter
Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into
CLA)
Another troubling aspect of grain-fed cattle involves the
well-being of the animal and, consequently, the health effect
this has on you. Common consequences among grain-fed cattle
include:4
Acidosis. During the normal digestive
process, bacteria in the rumen of cattle produce a variety
of acids. Saliva neutralizes the acidity from grass-based
diets, but grain-based eating in feedlots prohibits saliva
production. The net result is "acid indigestion."
Animals with this condition are plagued with diarrhea, go
off their feed, pant, salivate excessively, kick at their
bellies, and eat dirt. Over time, acidosis can lead to a
condition called "rumenitis," an inflammatory response to
too much acid and too little roughage and results in
inefficient nutrient absorption.
Liver abscesses. From 15 to 30 percent
of feedlot cattle have liver abscesses, which result when
bacteria may leak out through ulcerated rumen in cattle and
are ultimately transported to the liver.
Bloat. During digestion, cows produce
gas and when they are on pasture, they belch up the gas
without any difficulty. Grain-based feeding causes these
gasses to become trapped, and results in bloat. In more
serious cases of bloat, the rumen becomes so distended with
gas that the animal is unable to breathe and dies from
asphyxiation.
Feedlot polio. A highly acidic
digestive environment may result in the production of an
enzyme called "thiaminase," which destroys vitamin B1,
starving the brain of energy and creating paralysis.
Dust pneumonia. In dry weather, the
feedlot can become a dust bowl, which springs the cattle's
immune system into action and keeps it running on a constant
basis, ultimately resulting in respiratory ailments and even
death.
Virginia farmer Joel Salatin is a living example of how
incredibly successful and sustainable natural farming can be. He
produces beef, chicken, eggs, turkey, rabbits and vegetables.
Yet, Joel calls himself a grass farmer, for it is the grass that
transforms the sun into energy that his animals then feed on. By
closely observing nature, Joel created a rotational grazing
system that not only allows the land to heal but also allows the
animals to behave the way the were meant to — expressing their
"chicken-ness" or "pig-ness," as Joel would say.
Cows are moved every day, which mimics their natural patterns
and promotes revegetation. Sanitation is accomplished by birds.
The birds (chickens and turkeys) arrive three days after the
cows leave — via the Eggmobile — and scratch around in the
pasture, doing what chickens do best.
No pesticides. No herbicides. No antibiotics. No seed
spreading. Salatin hasn't planted a seed or purchased a chemical
fertilizer in 50 years. He just lets herbivores be herbivores
and cooperates with nature, instead of fighting it. It's a
different and refreshing philosophy. When cows are raised on a
‘salad bar’ of natural grasses, the meat takes on different
flavors that cannot be achieved with grain. Frost told the
New York Times:5
“'When the wine industry started out in California,
nobody had a language for what a bouquet was,’ Mr. Frost,
55, said. ‘Vintners had to come up with a way an audience
could have a conversation about hints of raspberries, of
chamomile. And that’s what we have to do with beef.’”
Farming done in this type of sustainable manner can
be incredibly profitable, too. Instead of making $150 per acre
per year from a crop that produces food for three months, but
lays fallow for the rest of the year, Salatin’s making $3,000
per acre by rotating crops throughout the year, thereby making
use of his land all 12 months — and maintaining its ecological
balance at the same time. This generates complementary income
streams for the small farmer and allows them to compete with
CAFO operations, while protecting the land from ecological
disasters.
Where Can You Find Grass-Fed Beef?
Currently, meat in supermarkets will be labeled 100%
grass-fed if it came from pasture, but if it contains no label
it’s probably CAFO-raised. In 2013, a new alliance of organic
and natural health consumers, animal welfare advocates, anti-GMO
and climate-change activists will tackle the next big food
labeling battle: meat, eggs and dairy products from animals
raised on factory farms, or CAFOs.
This campaign, which aims to have CAFO foods labeled, will
start with a massive program to educate consumers about the
negative impacts of factory farming on the environment, on human
health and on animal welfare, and then move forward to organize
and mobilize millions of consumers to demand labels on beef,
pork, poultry and dairy products derived from these unhealthy
and unsustainable so-called “farming” practices.
In the meantime, you can boycott food products from CAFOs and
choose to support farmers who produce healthful grass-fed meat,
eggs and dairy products using humane, environmentally friendly
methods. You can do this not only by visiting the farm directly,
if you have one nearby, but also by taking part in farmer's
markets and community-supported agriculture programs, many of
which offer grass-fed beef. The following organizations can also
help you locate grass-fed beef and other farm-fresh foods in
your local area, raised in a humane, sustainable manner.