As a carnivore-with-a-conscience, I have heretofore found myself in a moral conundrum. While I love to eat grilled steak, roasted chicken, and pork chops simmered in black bean sauce, I must always contend with a little voice whispering un-pleasantries in the back of my mind. The voice warns of mad cow disease, factory farms, growth hormones, and poisonous e-coli bacteria. Happily, the answer to these pestering concerns is as simple as a blade of grass and as ancient as the earth. Farm animals that roam and munch on fresh green pastures not only live high quality lives but also produce a higher quality product.
Ill in the Industry
There is so much wrong with conventional farming that most of us turn off our thinking minds before we bite into a T-bone steak or a chicken fajita. “The more you understand feedlots, the less you want to be a part of them”, says Mike Gale of Chileno Valley Ranch in Petaluma, California. Gale, who raises his animals on 600 acres of pasture, continues, “You don’t want to imagine animals wallowing in manure. It’s just not natural.”
Factory farms seem to be a topic that everyone wants to avoid. What meat-eater wants to think about the chickens that are crammed into cages many sizes too small or the cows that are stuffed with enough corn to make them fat and enough antibiotics to stop such an unnatural diet from making them sick. The reality is far, far different from the pastoral images we show our children in beautifully illustrated picture books.
And we have all heard about the terrifying concept of ‘superbugs’ the powerful germs that defy our best antibiotics. Most of us are careful not to overexpose our bodies to medicines unless absolutely necessary. But shockingly, most antibiotics currently used in this country are consumed by farm animals, mixed in with the very food the animals eat. This gross misuse of a powerful tool is coming back to haunt us. The residues end up on our plate, in our groundwater, and in the millions of tons of disposed manure. Not surprisingly, ranchers who raise their livestock on green fields have healthier animals and they don’t need to stave off sickness with a regular diet of medications.
Happy Cows, Healthy People
All across the country, farmers are rebelling against industry standards that demand they raise livestock as quickly and as cheaply as possible. Instead of pumping them full of chemicals and corn (which is not a natural food for cows), a growing number of farmers are opting to raise their animals in healthy and humane ways. Amy Kenyon, owner of Skate Creek Farm in East Meredith, New York, started her small farm as a way to work with nature rather than against it. She says, “I grow with sun rather than with fuel.” The fuel Kenyon speaks of is the millions of barrels of oil that is necessary to fertilize the millions of acres of corn grown for livestock consumption.
One of the greatest champions of the pasturing movement is Jo Robinson, author of Pasture Perfect (Vashon Island Press, 2004), and editor of the website www.eatwild.com. When Robinson began her research six years ago, she was hard pressed to find fifty grass-pasturing farmers across the United States and Canada. Recently she estimated there are over 1,500.In her book, Robinson presents documented studies which show how grass-pastured meat is a superior food choice. It is lower in fat and calories (grass-fed beef can have the same amount of fat as skinless chicken breast) and it has two to four times as much of the good, heart-friendly, omega-3 fats. These omega-3s are known to reduce the likelihood of depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Vitamin E, which lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer and is thought to have anti-aging properties, is four times higher in grass-fed beef than in feedlot cattle. And, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a potentially powerful anticarcinogen, is much more prevalent in the fats of grass-fed meats and the whole milks and cheeses of grass-fed cows. Ken Jaffe, a general practitioner in Upstate New York, was so interested in studying CLAs that he started raising his own grass-fed cattle. He says, “There is a significant body of literature that demonstrates that ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) fed forage (pasture grasses or hay) produce meat and dairy that is biochemically different from conventionally raised (i.e. grain fed) animals. CLA is a fat that shows up in the human diet almost exclusively from ruminant products.” Jaffe explains that while more human-based research needs to be completed, animal studies and studies of human cancer cells in the lab suggest that CLA has potent anticarcinogenic properties.
Health benefits are not just limited to meats. Grass-based whole milk, butter, and cheeses are also rich with CLAs, reports Tilak Dhiman, Associate Professor of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences at Utah State University. And hens that spend their days foraging for grubs lay eggs that boast 60 percent more vitamin B12 (essential for nerve function) and 50 percent more folic acid (a preventative against heart disease, depression, and cervical, colon, and prostate cancers) than the eggs of caged hens. Once again it seems that simpler food sources result in greater health benefits, all the way up the food chain.
Taste Test
Fleisher’s Grass-Fed and Organic Meats in Kingston, New York, is one of the few butcher shops of its kind in the country. Owners Joshua and Jessica Applestone provide high-end restaurants in Manhattan with the flavorful meats discerning diners expect, while running a bustling retail business in Kingston. Jessica explains that their customers purchase from them for a variety of reasons. Some find factory farming morally reprehensible and some have heard about the health benefits of grass-fed meats. Others simply love the taste.
“You don’t realize how bland traditional hamburgers are until you taste one of ours”, she says. Her husband concurs: “There is nothing better on earth than 100% grass-fed meat raised by farmers who know what they are doing.”
From the Pasture to The table
To locate a farm or butcher in your area that sells grass-pastured meats start by asking around at local farmers’ markets or visit www.eatwild.com.
Meat can be ordered in large or small quantities. For example, Chileno Valley Ranch in California sells split quarters so that each customer gets an even number of the best and regular cuts. Some meats, like heritage turkeys raised for Thanksgiving, need to be pre-ordered months in advance. Many farms offer overnight delivery of the frozen cuts you select.
As grass-pastured meat is so much leaner than its conventional corn-fed alternative, cooking must be adjusted accordingly. Author Shannon Hayes recommends turning down the heat, using a good meat thermometer, and easing up on seasonings and sauces to allow the natural flavors to shine through. For recipes and cooking tips, checkout her book, The Grassfed Gourmet (Eating Fresh Publications, 2004).
Jennifer May
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