People are talking about eating healthier and more naturally. Farm to table restaurants and markets are springing up all over, and every city and town has a farmer's market where people can buy fresh, locally-grown food. Grass fed beef and pork are part of that trend, one which most supermarkets have joined by offering certified meats. There are good reasons for buying this kind of meat, both health and humanitarian.
Much research has been done on beef that is produced without the use of grain. Fewer studies have been published on pork or chicken, but it's known that the animals raised on pasture are healthier and happier. Pigs will grow to market size in crowded pens, but it's a horrendous life for the animals to be confined from birth to slaughter. Pasturing pigs is a much more humane way to raise pork for human consumption.
Tests have shown that pastured meats, from animals raised on grass and never fed grain, are much higher in Omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients, known to be good for the brain and the heart, are often deficient in American diets. Omega-6 fatty acids, however, are plentiful in liquid vegetable oils, which many people consume as oils or in baked goods. Meat from cattle fattened and 'finished' in feedlots, on a diet of grain and plant products like beet pulp, is high in Omega-6.
Research has shown that grass-fed beef is not necessarily lower in total fat content than the product of feedlots. However, there are differences in the kind of fat in each meat. A fatty acid called CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) that helps the human body convert animal fats into energy rather than storing them in fat cells is higher in pastured meat; in fact, feedlot animals lose this fatty acid from their tissues as they consume their grain-based feed.
There are some interesting research findings online, from gas chromatography studies sponsored by the Weston A. Price Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to health through whole, untainted foods. This study examines polyunsaturated fats as well as saturated fats in beef, and compares feedlot meat to that from pasture-raised and finished animals.
Many consumers don't want traces of herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers in their food. They also want to avoid genetically modified foods, as well as animals fed on them. They feel that animals raised on natural pasture - green grass and the other plants that are native to the area - are healthier and provide more vitamins and minerals to those who eat them. Grass-fed meat is often proudly produced without the use of antibiotics or hormones.
If you are concerned about the environment, you should know that keeping animals in pastures with adequate grass cover for erosion control doesn't cause the same problems as feedlots or large confinement buildings. Run-off from factory farms is a major source of water pollution. Feedlots and large confinement buildings produce a lot of greenhouse gases, as well.
More humane, natural production methods; healthier meat products; a cleaner environment. These are all goals worth supporting with our food dollars. Many consumers think grass-fed meat tastes better, too.
Much research has been done on beef that is produced without the use of grain. Fewer studies have been published on pork or chicken, but it's known that the animals raised on pasture are healthier and happier. Pigs will grow to market size in crowded pens, but it's a horrendous life for the animals to be confined from birth to slaughter. Pasturing pigs is a much more humane way to raise pork for human consumption.
Tests have shown that pastured meats, from animals raised on grass and never fed grain, are much higher in Omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients, known to be good for the brain and the heart, are often deficient in American diets. Omega-6 fatty acids, however, are plentiful in liquid vegetable oils, which many people consume as oils or in baked goods. Meat from cattle fattened and 'finished' in feedlots, on a diet of grain and plant products like beet pulp, is high in Omega-6.
Research has shown that grass-fed beef is not necessarily lower in total fat content than the product of feedlots. However, there are differences in the kind of fat in each meat. A fatty acid called CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) that helps the human body convert animal fats into energy rather than storing them in fat cells is higher in pastured meat; in fact, feedlot animals lose this fatty acid from their tissues as they consume their grain-based feed.
There are some interesting research findings online, from gas chromatography studies sponsored by the Weston A. Price Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to health through whole, untainted foods. This study examines polyunsaturated fats as well as saturated fats in beef, and compares feedlot meat to that from pasture-raised and finished animals.
Many consumers don't want traces of herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers in their food. They also want to avoid genetically modified foods, as well as animals fed on them. They feel that animals raised on natural pasture - green grass and the other plants that are native to the area - are healthier and provide more vitamins and minerals to those who eat them. Grass-fed meat is often proudly produced without the use of antibiotics or hormones.
If you are concerned about the environment, you should know that keeping animals in pastures with adequate grass cover for erosion control doesn't cause the same problems as feedlots or large confinement buildings. Run-off from factory farms is a major source of water pollution. Feedlots and large confinement buildings produce a lot of greenhouse gases, as well.
More humane, natural production methods; healthier meat products; a cleaner environment. These are all goals worth supporting with our food dollars. Many consumers think grass-fed meat tastes better, too.
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When you are looking for information about grass fed beef and pork, visit our web pages online today. More details are available at http://www.crestwoodfarmsllc.com now.
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