The Life Ledger

Fitness is a way of life.

photo credit: ewanr

I have the great fortune to live near Hickory Nut Gap Farm, an ecologically-aware farm using rotational grazing that produces the best beef and chicken I have ever eaten. Not everyone has the fortune to live near a source for grass-fed livestock, so I’m glad Mark’s Daily Apple recently ran an article on selecting beef when your options are limited. The most interesting piece of information I gleaned, however, was that not all grass-fed beef is the same - some, in fact, may be just as unhealthy as corn-fed beef:

Meat that is labeled grass-fed isn’t necessarily “grass-finished.” Nearly all beef cattle eat grass at some point. Others, those usually labeled grass-fed, eat grass until the final few weeks before slaughter, when they’re switched to a grain diet. During this relatively brief window, the omega ratio reverses to pretty much that of mostly/entirely grain-fed cattle. Look for “grass-finished” or “100% grass-fed.”

Yet another disappointing fact about the agricultural industry. “Free ranging” chickens don’t necessarily range free, grass-fed cows don’t necessarily eat all grass - what’s next, “original” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not cloned? It’s no wonder the organic movement feels more like a fad and less like a description of what I’m eating.

As the article points out, many farms now sell and ship meats directly to customers. It appears Hickory Nut Gap does, and the article mentions a few additional links to similar sources. In my opinion, if you don’t have grass-fed beef available near you, it’s worth the extra cost and hassle to order it from a farm like Hickory Nut Gap. When you weigh it against the hidden health costs and money-saving shortcuts taken by slaughterhouses, especially in light of the recent massive beef recalls, it’s well worth the hit you take in the wallet.

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