What Is Grass Fed Beef?
All beef cattle eat grass, right? Well, sort of.
Non-Grass Fed Beef (Grain Fed)
After they are weaned, all beef cattle start out on pasture (grass). But they do not all finish there.
Most beef cattle are then shipped off to an intensive feed lot, where they are fed a steady diet of grains. For a ruminant like a cow, this is akin to eating candy and chips – they fatten up quickly and can then be sent to slaughter.
Grass Fed Beef
Unlike types of beef, grass fed cattle are not fed any grain. They continue to graze on pasture during the warmer weather and eat hay (dried grass) in the winter. Without the fattening grain, these cattle can take up to a year longer to reach market weight.
Grass Is Better For Cows
Cows are not meant to digest grain. Gorging on grain can lead to liver issues, heartburn, and a slew of other health issues. Grass fed animals live much more natural and humane lives, grazing on the grass their bodies were built to digest.
Is Grain Fed Beef Always Bad?
Grain-finishing does not have to be harmful for cattle – there are plenty of local farmers who grain-finish their cattle in a sustainable way, in humane conditions. That is one of the benefits to knowing exactly where your beef comes from: you can evaluate the standards of care your beef is raised in!
At Farm2Fork we not only offer Grass Fed & Finished options, but we also work with farmers who grain-finish their cattle in a sustainable and humane way.
Does Grass Fed Beef Taste Better
Most people who try grass fed beef for the first time are shocked at the difference in flavour from conventional grain-finished beef. The variety of a grass fed cow’s diet makes for a much more earthy, complex flavour profile. Many describe the flavour as simply more meaty tasting.
If you haven’t tried grass fed beef, you are missing out (and if you have and already love it, why are you reading this? Get cooking!)
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