Why We Produce Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Beef

It’s well documented that grass-fed meats are much higher in Omega-3 fatty acids (the good fats!) than products produced in other ways (for beef that’s feedlots). In fact, grass-fed beef has a lot in common with chicken!

When compared with grain-fed beef (that’s how all the big producers do it), grass-fed beef has more antioxidants and lower levels of saturated fat (the bad stuff).

So what does all that mean?

Generally speaking, the features of grass-fed beef are proven to reduce the risk of heart-related diseases, prevent illnesses and cancer, and facilitate muscle growth.

And those are just the health benefits! Don’t just take my word for it, do some research yourself. I’m not trying pull the wool (or cow hide) over your eyes.

Real grass-fed beef (when the cows actually graze on pastures and aren’t just fed hay), promotes sustainable land use and land conservation. The same land management practices that promote healthy grass growth also promote water quality, wildlife habitat, and eco-tourism. When you support real grass-fed beef you’re also supporting the environment (and the economy)!

So. How can you know if your grass-fed beef is really grass-fed (and not hay-fed)? You have to know your rancher. That’s where we come in. We want to get to know you!

How We Make a Premium Product

There are three things we do to produce premium beef that outpaces anything you can pick up at the grocery store (including stores like Whole Foods).

1. Naturally grown. We raise our beef on natural grasses without added growth hormones, or source beef from producers we know and trust that do the same. Why? Because it’s the only way we know of to produce a product we feel good about. Grass requires open space, sunlight, and good soil to grow. By raising beef naturally, we commit to maintaining open, natural landscapes that promote clean water, provide habitat for wildlife, and encourage eco-tourism. Most importantly when you buy from us you can always know where your beef comes from and how it’s been raised.
2. Dry-aged. Our USDA-inspected processors dry-age all our beef for an optimal time period to enhance flavor and tenderness. Dry-aging also removes water weight (20-30% of total weight). This means that when you buy our beef you’re paying for beef, not water! That’s in addition to getting a product that has been handled for tenderness and flavor instead of volume.
3. Professionally packages. Do you know why beef from your freezer doesn’t taste as good as the fresh stuff? It’s because freezing meat can damage cells and muscle fibers. Much of this damage occurs when air contacts your frozen beef. This can cause frozen water to evaporate from your beef (freezer burn), degrading it while it’s in the freezer. Vacuum sealing and freezing at very cold temperatures (less than -10 degrees Fahrenheit) keeps your beef fresh for a long time! Our beef is commercially frozen and vacuum sealed so that you can get that fresh flavor and texture for up to two years!

BONUS – Absolutely Fresh! Do you have any idea how long beef you buy at the store has been on the shelf (or in the freezer or refrigerator before that)? Neither do we. What we do know is that we usually ship out our bulk beef orders within a week after processing. This ensures you get the freshest product and the longest freezer life possible!

Save Time and Money

Most of our beef is sold as beef shares. This is where you place a deposit to reserve a portion of a full beef a few months before our animals are harvested (you can read more about it here). Then, after the meat is processed we deliver bulk packages of beef to you.

Ordering bulk beef this way has a few benefits (we discussed some of them above).

First, you get to fill your freezer. This means you don’t have to worry about running out of meat and not having what you want for Sunday dinner. You’re also not subject to supply chain interruptions or the ebbs and flows of beef prices. You’re all stocked up!

Second, by ordering in advance you help us manage our herd which helps us manage our land. Because of this, we can provide a premium product at a lower price than you can get somewhere else. Good luck trying to find grass-fed that is raised and processed in the US and delivered to your door at these prices! (With current labeling laws you might not even be able to find out where your beef came from).

Third, you know exactly how fresh your beef is. We usually ship out your beef share order days after it is processed.

Our Commitment to Conservation and Sustainability

We started this business because we care about conserving natural landscapes. Selling premium, grass-fed beef directly to you is the only business model that allows us to provide for our families, sustainably manage our land, and keep the land profitable. For years, we ran a ‘break-even business’ of leasing our pasture to other producers. We had to work other jobs (we still do) because we made just enough to cover our expenses. Now, we have more financial flexibility which gives us more options to take improve our land.