What’s good for the chicken is good for the cow

Add comment June 13th, 2009

A few weeks ago I considered the benefits of eggs that come from pastured chickens. Not surprisingly, there are also benefits related to meat from animals that were grass-fed on pasture — benefits for the animal, the farmer, the environment, the food itself, and your own health. Most any animal that’s consumed for food can be raised on pasture, including beef, bison, lamb, goat, pork, and poultry.

 

Animals raised on pasture live in less stressful, more natural conditions, eating the grasses that nature intended for their diet. Because the cows aren’t crammed together, they tend to be healthier and have a decreased need for antibiotics. Farmers also benefit because they live and work in a healthy, sustainable atmosphere. They’re often happy to welcome you to visit their farms and see how the animals are raised. In turn, this provides reassurances to consumers.

 

One environmental benefit is that there is a harmony between animals and the land. From a global warming perspective, grasses sequester carbon in the ground–more than trees, and fossil fuel usage is much lower on pasture farms. After all, the cows harvest their own food, and even spread their own manure, a natural fertilizer.

 

Environmental and economic benefits of this kind of farming aren’t just something put forward by far-out locavores. With an eye towards sustaining farms and rural communities both economically and environmentally, while offering local, healthy foods, the USDA just reported that grass and other perennial plants may be “just what the doctor ordered” for farmers facing uncertainties of climate change. USDA scientists are also looking for innovative ways to include grazing cattle in economically diverse farming systems.

 

Meat and poultry from pastured animals (ones not fed grain-based diets) are higher in beta carotene (Vitamin A), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and Omega-3 fatty acids. Research has shown that these are all vital in reducing cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases.

 

Meat from pastured animals is also lower in fat and calories, as it’s leaner than conventional feedlot beef. However, some can be just as marbled if the farmer has carefully managed grazing, exceptional pastures, and improved genetics. Most pasture-raised beef is dry-aged for 7–21 days to enhance the flavor and tenderness of the meat.

 

Grass-fed meat is typically a bit more expensive than that from animals raised in more industrial settings, in part because pastured animals take up more land as compared to a feedlot, and the farmer must work hard (and spend money) to maintain good quality pastures.

As it is nearly impossible to find grass-fed meat in grocery stores, your best bet is to buy directly from a producer (who will often work with a small custom processor like Eickman’s in Seward). Fortunately, there are quite a few in this area. To find one, check out the Local Foods Directory available at various locations around Winnebago county, or download at web.extension.uiuc.edu/winnebago.