Facts About Grass-Fed Beef Farms



When buying meat, many people are always unaware of the nutritional and quality differences among the various provisions. In fact, the only distinction from one type of meat to the other is simply that of being beef, mutton, and bacon among other such categories. However, the way the animal was raised has a profound effect on the nutritional value and quality. Meat from grass-fed beef farms are more nutritious and high quality. This is, perhaps, the sole reason behind their high prices.

Grass-fed farm products are low amounts of fat and calories. There exists a wide variety of nutritional differences between feedlot and pasture-fed animals. Firstly, meat obtained from the grass fed animal is lower in total fat content. A very lean meat can poses one third as much fat as a similar cut obtained from a grain-fed animal. Remember that lean beef lowers your bad LDL cholesterol levels. The low fat content implies fewer amounts of calories.

The other important aspect of grass-fed animal beef is the presence of extra omega3s. When compared to the meat from feedlot livestock, the meat has far more omega3s. The difference is about two to four times more. The omega3s are essential fatty acids that are particularly important in every cell of your system and body. They are heart very friendly among all other fats. In addition, having an ample supply of fatty acids in your diet goes a long way in reducing your chances of experiencing heart attacks, schizophrenia, depression and hyperactivity.

There is also another kind of good fat; the conjugated linoleic acid, that is particularly rich in meat from grass-fed ruminants. The ruminants that are raised entirely on pasture contain 4 times more conjugated linoleic acid as compared to the other animals fed on grains. The component forms an important guard against cancer.

The level of vitamin E in such products is exceptionally high. It is reported that, meat obtained from animals feeding entirely on pasture has about four times the amount of vitamin E present in meat from feedlot counterparts. In fact, comparing the pasture fed animal with that from feedlot and vitamin E supplements is quite interesting. The beef from pasture depended cattle has twice as much vitamin E as there is in the meat from grain-fed cattle and having vitamin E supplements.

This method of farming is also friendly to the animals. As opposed to animals fattened in feedlots (confined animal feeding operations, CAFO), the pasture depended farming incurs less and abuse. Due to the endless stress and abuse subjected to in CAFO, the cattle become afflicted with a wide spectrum of disorders. Such include the subacute acidosis, which is a painful condition that makes them kick at their bellies and lose appetite. In reaction, the animals are subjected to chemical additives and antibiotics.

The pasture-fed farms are also relatively environmentally friendly. By using the method, the livestock is uniformly distributed, making good use of the land by distributing manure and grazing uniformly. However, the CAFO method deposit large amounts of waste quite a small amount of space. The manure requires to be collected and dumped, thereby causing ground and water pollution. In addition, pollution is caused by diesel and gasoline-powered equipment employed to farm commercial grains.

Simply put, the method of rearing animals on pasture is quite easy and called for. It is a win-win situation to both the animals concerned and you as a consumer. Remember to check out their products.

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