Green Gazette

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

That’s in contrast to large factory farms, where raising livestock in confinement stresses the animals; pollutes the air, soil and waterways; increases the risk of food-borne illness; raises the specter of mad cow disease and has resulted in the widespread and unnecessary use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Meat labeled “USDA Choice” is no longer the choice of millions of consumers who care about their health, the welfare of animals, the environment and the survival of small family farms.

The first day of GrazeFest was a “school day” for the ranchers, who came from as far away as California and Maine to learn more about the art and science of raising animals on pasture. During the daylong session, the ranchers heard information from animal scientists, grass-farming specialists and fellow ranchers. Tilak Dhiman, an associate professor of dairy nutrition at Utah State University, presented research about the nutritional benefits of grass-fed meat and dairy products. Compared with conventional products, Dhiman said, grass-fed products are lower in artery-clogging fats but higher in beneficial nutrients, including antioxidant vitamins, polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids and the cancer-fighting fat CLA.

On the second day, work turned into play and the gates were open to the public. With live country music in the background, convention participants and visitors grazed their way through grass-fed steak, lamb chops, sausages and roasts, and indulged in homestead cheeses, butter and ice cream. Many were tasting grass-fed products for the first time; comments ranged from: “This tastes ‘cleaner’ than ordinary meat,” and “I’d forgotten how good beef could taste,” to “Wow. This lamb is really tender.”

A friendly competition between four “pit masters,” the Southern term for a barbecue master, featured heritage pig breeds, including Duroc, Gloucestershire Old Spots and Tamworth, which thrive on pasture and were common before confinement farming.

For more information on grass-based production, check out The Stockman Grass Farmer magazine, www.stockmangrassfarmer.com.— Jo Robinson

Jo Robinson was one of the featured speakers at the recent Grazefest. Her Web site, www.eatwild.com, is a clearinghouse for information about raising animals on grass. To order her book, Pasture Perfect, go to www.MotherEarthNews.com or call (866) 803-7096.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print