Grass-Fed Beef, Pork, and Other Meats Have Amazingly Huge Benefits

A recent article in Mother Earth News about grass-fed beef made me realize how little is generally known by the public regarding where their meats come from and how they are processed from birth to meat counter. There's a huge disconnect today between Joe 6-Pack and his food sources.

Most meat that you buy in your store today comes from huge factory farming operations (aka "Big Agra"). Most of the animals raised for slaughter in this operations never have more than ten feet to move around in during their lifetimes. While they aren't all "pen fed" like the sadly mistreated pigs and chickens shown in tiny little containers they can't even move around in, most livestock for meat production doesn't have it a whole lot better than that.

Sure, we see the roaming cattle when we drive down the freeway and maybe see a few happy happy spots on TV showing the "family farm" (these don't really exist anymore on a real scale), but for the most part: our meat comes from factories.

OK, it's not Soilent Green...yet, but it's not a whole lot better.

While most cattle are fairly free to roam (short distances) at "pasture," the majority of their diet is alfalfa, grain, and hormones. Not always in that order. These animals get relatively little exercise, lots of protein-producing input foods, and plenty of chemicals to keep them "healthy."

Then we eat them.

Well, a growing movement towards "grass fed" or "free range" animals, especially cattle and chickens, is happening now. Pigs aren't always so lucky, but they are seeing the trend some now too.

Despite the best efforts of Big Agra, the FDA, and the Dept. of Agriculture, localized, smaller operations and home-made food production is becoming more and more popular now. Here in my town, for instance, gardening is making a definite comeback (it never really went away, but it did scale down some). Poultry are showing up in the mail now too, as those mail-ordered chicks begin arriving at the local feed & grain store.

Technically, the city ordinance says that no livestock or poultry are allowed on smaller town lots, but this rarely stops people in Wyoming. Which is why I live here. "Laws are general guidelines for my consideration," is the thought pattern amongst those who live here in the Last of the Free States.

Agriculture professionals, though, are also taking note. Grass-fed and ranged beef cattle are taking the lead now as grassland pastures are more sustainably utilized for the production of healthier, more nutritional, and definitely happier cows become the new goal.

Experts are saying that if it continues to scale up, the currently over-used commercial grain production fields that supply the feed for the mostly-immobile meat production industry now could convert to more sustainable grassland range instead. This would mean no loss in meat production and possible net gains--especially in profits, as farming these fields has become steadily more expensive over time.

The cries of "disease" and other tripe from the FDA are found to be crap as experts show that ranged beef have markedly lower instances of disease than those kept penned together. Ditto with pigs, poultry, and all the rest. Humans too, if you want to know.

The best part is that this ranged system is much more humane, healthier for everyone involved, and increases wildlife habitat to boot. What's to lose? Well, industrial farming and livestock production for one. Big Agra doesn't want that...

Read one Montana rancher's story of converting to free-range here.