I will take some time in my next several posts to explain a little bit about our farm products. The first of which I will talk about is our grass-finished beef. As I have mentioned before, our beef animals are fed a ration completely consisting of grass and hay (along with some salt and kelp for minerals). This is the food that cattle, which are herbivores, were created to consume. They have been given a unique digestive system that is capable of turning plant materials, such as grass, into meat and milk. It is amazing the balance our Creator has instilled in this system, because we as humans are incapable of surviving on these same plants.
Cattle were not in any way designed to consume grain products, which is today's standard commercial feed. Grain can actually upset a cows digestive system by making it too acidic, causing a condition called acidosis. This is a cow's version of an upset stomach. Sure, they like grain, but that doesn't mean it is the proper food for them to eat. This would be the same as you and I eating a constant diet of candy bars, ice cream, and potato chips. It would definitely taste good, but it wouldn't be healthy. We would also most likely gain a lot of weight from this diet. This is exactly what happens when cattle are fed grain- they get fat!
Aside from making the cattle healthier, grass-feeding makes a better product for us to consume. Grass-fed beef products are lower in fat and cholesterol, contain higher levels of important omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and CLA, and the meat has a significantly lower risk of carrying harmful strains of E. coli. Our beef also doesn't contain traces of antibiotics and hormones, commonly found in conventional beef. Once people try it, many think that grass-fed beef tastes better too!
What has been presented here is only portion of what could be said about the many, many benefits of grass-fed beef. It is easy to see that God has designed a perfect system for converting otherwise useless grasses into healthy meat for us to consume!
Cattle were not in any way designed to consume grain products, which is today's standard commercial feed. Grain can actually upset a cows digestive system by making it too acidic, causing a condition called acidosis. This is a cow's version of an upset stomach. Sure, they like grain, but that doesn't mean it is the proper food for them to eat. This would be the same as you and I eating a constant diet of candy bars, ice cream, and potato chips. It would definitely taste good, but it wouldn't be healthy. We would also most likely gain a lot of weight from this diet. This is exactly what happens when cattle are fed grain- they get fat!
Aside from making the cattle healthier, grass-feeding makes a better product for us to consume. Grass-fed beef products are lower in fat and cholesterol, contain higher levels of important omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and CLA, and the meat has a significantly lower risk of carrying harmful strains of E. coli. Our beef also doesn't contain traces of antibiotics and hormones, commonly found in conventional beef. Once people try it, many think that grass-fed beef tastes better too!
What has been presented here is only portion of what could be said about the many, many benefits of grass-fed beef. It is easy to see that God has designed a perfect system for converting otherwise useless grasses into healthy meat for us to consume!
PS--if you notice in the picture above, you will see the Lorain County Fairgrounds in the background through the trees. This is how we arrived at the farm name with 'Fair View' and the name 'Meadow' coming from all the pasture we have....we are a grass-based farm.
Nathan
Nathan
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