TRULY Grass-fed Beef Regenerates Soil Health!

written by

Wesley Shank

posted on

July 6, 2021

Why is Grass-fed & Grass-finished Beef so much better than Grain-fed Beef?

If a picture is worth a thousand words then I'll skip 975 of them and let this comparison speak for itself.

One glance is enough.

These two beef environments show a stark contrast... and so does the resulting beef you eat. I know without a shadow of a doubt which system I want to support.

Did you know truly grass-fed beef not only has a much lower carbon footprint, but can actually sequester tons of carbon back into the soil when managed properly? More on that later.

Now I have a confession to make.

As 5th generation on the farm, I've eaten grass-fed beef most of my life. But I only recently took time to research and discover for myself the amazing benefits of grass-fed & grass-finished beef over grain-fed beef.

It's quite impressive.

Grass-fed Beef is NOT all equal

Before we jump into the details, I want you to know "grass-fed" beef is NOT all equal.

Since "grass-fed" is not a regulated term, anybody can market their beef as grass-fed. Almost all beef in the USA have been raised on grass for several months of their lives and so... We have "grass-fed" beef for everyone! Even supermarkets are selling it.

Truly Grass-fed Beef is also Grass-finished. This is what makes it so special.

If you don't know whether your grass-fed beef is also grass-finished, then you better find out. Often beef labeled as "grass-fed" has been feed a corn and soy based diet for the last 3-5 months of its life in a feedlot.

Here at The Family Cow our beef cattle are truly pastured, grass-fed and grass-finished.

But beyond truly grass-fed, there is one more critical point to consider when buying beef.

Is it also chemical free?

All of our animals and pastures are totally Chemical Free.

This is truly important. Just because a farm is 100% grass-fed does NOT mean that it isn't being sprayed with chemical pesticides and herbicides. Dad's Double Agent story is a real eye-opener.

And what about the winter time?

Did you ever wonder how farmers grass feed cattle in the winter time? Dad also put together a photo story to show you exactly how it works: Grass Feeding Cows in the Winter Time.

Truly Grass-fed Beef is a Nutritional Powerhouse

I always knew our truly grass-fed beef was packed with nutrition... but seeing the numbers is seriously amazing!

Truly grass-fed beef has up to 5 times more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef!

As you probably know, it's extremely important for us to get enough omega-3s in our diet. Our bodies can't produce omega-3s. We need to get them from our food.

People who eat a diet rich in omega-3s have much better heart health and overall enhanced brain function. Studies also show plenty of omega-3 fats can help protect you from depression, schizophrenia, ADD and Alzheimer's disease.

90% of Americans are estimated to be deficient in omega-3 fatty acids.

Choose truly grass-fed beef today and improve your family's omega-3 intake. I don't believe you'll ever regret it.

And this is just the beginning.

Truly grass-fed beef also has 2-3 times the amount of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) compared to grain-fed beef.

CLAs are one of the best nutritional defenses against cancer. On average, Americans have less than half the optimal level of CLAs in their diet. Truly grass-fed beef can help reduce carcinogenesis, atherosclerosis, and the onset of diabetes.

If you count calories, here is a good one for you. Truly grass-fed beef is leaner than grain-fed beef and so... “If you eat a typical amount of beef per year, which in the United States is about 67 pounds, switching to grass-fed beef will save you 16,642 calories a year,” says Jo Robinson founder of EatWild.com.

Your Choice of Truly Grass-fed Beef Improves Soil Health

Yep, when you choose to support our farm, you are doing more than just improving your own health. Your choice helps us improve soil health with regenerative agriculture practices.

We use a management technique called Rotational Grazing with our cattle. This gives your family top quality beef while regenerating soil health in our pastures and the environment. It is an astoundingly simple system... The goal is to mimic the herding and movement patterns of ancient herds of ruminates like the American Bison.

With this method, our beef cattle are only on a section of pasture for 1-2 days before moving on. This allows the grass to grow back rich and lush after the cattle have moved through and fertilized it with their manure.

All that lush pasture grass is pulling carbon from the air and transferring it to the soil. Rotational grazing speeds up the growth of grass, which in turn, pulls even more carbon into the soil! :)

It's a beautiful cycle that God designed for optimal animal health, improved soil health, and even atmospheric health!

Truly grass-fed beef cattle can sequester more atmospheric carbon into the soil than they emit in their lifetime!

Studies show that where conventional feedlot beef operations produce 15-30 pounds of carbon per pound of meat, truly grass-fed beef can actually create a net negative 3 pounds of carbon per pound of meat!

With your support, we will make a difference! Every pound of our grass-fed beef you buy helps us build soil health and sequester more carbon from the atmosphere.

Remember: you are the hero in our regenerative farming.

Without your choice to support us we could do very little on our own.

Thank you for helping us reinvest in soil health across the hundreds of acres we manage... AND thank you for helping us produce immunity-building, gut-healing, truly pastured foods that so many people depend upon!

All the best of food and blessings,

Wesley Shank