Trouble ahead with grass fed beef NPR

[Jo_O]

Study notes a slow decrease in the grass’s nutrition of grass fed cattle.

Love how they studied this. Cow poop.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/01/08/575413910/soaring-popularity-of-grass-fed-beef-may-hit-roadblock-less-nutritious-grass

[mikpaq]

All the more reason to support local farmers. Not sure i buy the rising CO2 as an issue. Need some actual science to support that don’t you?

[Jo_O]

Yep…so far they might have correlation and not causation.

[Emacfarland]

Look up podcasts interviewing Dr. Peter Ballerstedt. He knows what he’s talking about when it comes to ruminant animals and their effect on grasslands. He also dispels a lot of myths about feedlots and why “grain finished” cattle are not as problematic as we have been told they are in relation to the environment and meat quality.

[atomicspacebunny]

“… Craine hasn’t made an official determination of why nutrients[1][2][3] in grasses are dropping, but if the trends he has noticed continue, beef producers may need dump huge amounts of nitrogen across the Great Plains. …”

The ground soil needs ‘Sea Salt[1][2][3],’ people forget that America was once a sea bed in ancient times full of trace minerals and trace elements which get depleted from re-growing things on it over and over again for hundreds of years from agricultural[1][2] and livestock use[3]. I am kind of taken back and shocked Mr. Craine is not aware of that?[1][2][3]… (my opinion)

[1]Products like this would probably solve the problem
SE-90 The Most Complete Mineral and Trace Element Products Ever Offered https://seaagri.com

[2]Are You Getting Enough Iodine in Your Diet From Real Food? http://agriculturesociety.com/tag/iodine/

[3]”…“If we were still back at the forage quality that we would’ve had 25 years ago, no less 100 years ago, our animals would be gaining a lot more weight,” Craine says…” https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/01/08/575413910/soaring-popularity-of-grass-fed-beef-may-hit-roadblock-less-nutritious-grass

[TMH]

Can someone please show me the science around why grass fed is supposed to be THE way to go?

We raise beef cattle and own a feed mill. My husband is a ruminant and large animal nutritionist. He scientifically formulates feed rations for carcass quality and rate of gain. Antibiotics are now strictly regulated in feed, so less of a concern than in the past, but I hear people saying beef cattle are loaded down with antibiotics. From my understanding, that’s antiquated information.

For those concerned, tho, and to the point someone else made about buying local, there are options between the 2 ends of this spectrum. It’s not all black or white. We raise beef cattle on our property with no added hormones or antibiotics and sell as freezer beef. Our Genetics and feed formulation produce excellent beef by all the feedback we get from our customers and the custom processor who processes the beef.

So if you get a freezer and find a local producer, you gat get a side of beef ( or quarter) cheaper and better than the grocery store.

But please, someone, show me the science on what make grass fed so much better. I’d really like to know. Won’t change how we grow ‘em, but I’d like to know. Also need to consider that feeding the world on grass only fed beef is likely not sustainable. How many acres of grass would it take to produce the same amount of 100 percent grass fed beef?

[atomicspacebunny]

The trace minerals and elements (nutrients) in the soil get into the grass (forage quality[1]) then get into the livestock and agriculture which get into us! e.g. GMO’s lack nutrients.

[1]“Grass Fed” may not be such a good thing either: ”…Low-carbohydrate diets that focus on animal proteins have increased levels of saturated fats, and run the risk of higher levels of synthetic hormones and antibiotics used to fatten up commercial livestock.

The livestock bioaccumulates these toxins within their fat cells.

Does this mean that grassfed beef is the answer? Beef still bioaccumulate toxins in their fat cells –whatever toxins are in the air and in the ground. These toxins then accumulate in our bodies as a result. …” https://www.realnatural.org/low-carb-diets-increase-deaths/

[TMH]

Well I’ve heard that said, but what I’m looking for is something more quantified. Which nutrients, how much, etc. Also, according to this artilce the quality of grass plays into this, and this artcle expresses some concerns in that area.

I do recall on one of the podcasts the guys talked to a ruminent expert and I don’t recall him paying too much additional credit to 100% grass fed.

So, I live on 60 acres. Cows get to hang out and graze all summer and hay (mostly grown by us) is fed all winter. Calfs are weened around 4-7 months old - depends on when the littl buggers get bold enough to squeeze out of the fence. If I have to herd them back up the driveway a couple mornings a week, it’s time to ween. At that time the one’s that we keep to feed out for freezer beef come in off of pasture and are put on a feed ration. My husband is the expert here, but there is a science to developing what we feed - amino acids, etc. They still get hay too. We only feed out 2-4 at a time, just to give you an idea of scale, just in case you’re picturing a sceen off of the Temple Grandin movie.

So I keep hearing that everything needs to be grass fed, that it’s so much better, etc. I really want to know better in what ways and by how much. Again, don’t think we’d change the way we raise them, but I’d like to be able to speak intelligently on the subject when it comes up. Does anyone have any links to articles or data?

[atomicspacebunny]

I think some of the answers to your question can be found on the https://seaagri.com website?

Livestock Benefits:
Enhance fertility and conception rates
Improve herd health
Improve freshening
Reduce mortality rates
Quicker weight gain
Improved Meat flavor (read more…https://seaagri.com/products/livestock/)

[collaroygal]

Here is Peter’s blog.

Grass Based Health

You might find the info you are seeking in there? I just listed to episode 81, haven’t read all the links associated with that podcast.

[atomicspacebunny]

Lab Results Prove Healthy Salt Far Better Than Pink Himalayan Salt! https://www.gohealthynext.com/blog/lab-results-prove-healthy-salt-far-better-than-pink-himalayan-salt/

Using Sea Minerals in Agriculture – a Tutorial https://www.naturalnews.com/023600_minerals_water_sea.html

The difference from eating sea salts directly than getting it (trace elements and minerals) through the medium via—->ground soil—->agriculture/forage/vegetation—->livestock is micro particulate size?

THE COMPARITIVE ANALOGY IN SIZE OF PARTICULATE WE ARE TALKING (literally):
This cannot get into your cells:

Like this can:

[Saphire]

consider that feeding the world on grass only fed beef is likely not sustainable. How many acres of grass would it take to produce the same amount of 100 percent grass fed beef?

[/quote]

You may want to watch this. While I make no claim to understanding the validity of the science it is interesting.

How to fight desertification and reverse climate change

[TMH]

Thanks, I’ll do that

[TMH]

Thanks, I’ll take a look when I get the chance.

In regards to the list of livestock benefits, though, that’s a net/net for a lot of operations. That’s the main reason I’m questioning the specifics here. It sounds like there’s an implied assumption that any time cattle are fed grain it must mean that they come from some awful environment - like the big ol’ puppy mills. And I definately want to see stats behind the claim quicker weight gain on grass. Don’t get me wrong - if you prefer grass fed beef, that’s great. It’s the perception that there’s 100% grass fed which is healthy and wholsome, but for cattle that are fed grain to finish them out for processing, the inverse must necessarily be true.

So I can’t help but question if the perception is entirly accurate. I.e. the Livestock benefits listed. The health and fertility of herd out in the field has nothing to do with the 4 critters that are on feed for a few months. What seems to be the common perception paints a very different picture from the one I know. Take a drive through rural Missouri and you’ll see field after field of cows. These aren’t on their way to the grass fed meat counter. This is “the herd” It wouldn’t be cost effecive to sustain your entire herd and beeding operation on grain. Grain only enters the equation for a few months for the purpose of finishing the animals on thier way to the processor. And personlally I find them very tastey :smile :). I know there is still a distinction between the scenarios you’ve provided and large commercial feed lots. But there’s a lot of gray area in between, and a lot more in common than different between the 2 ends of the spectrum.

[atomicspacebunny]

Another interesting thing I thought people should know in reference to the importance of micron particulates (trace elements and minerals) that plants get from the soil when the sea salt is replenished!

Dr. Maynard Murray’s Research Had Amazing Results “…For 30 years Dr. Murray experimented with growing foods with sea minerals. You can see in his experiments listed below that mice that were injected with a carcinogen to get cancer did not get cancer when fed a diet grown with sea minerals, while the control group of mice ALL got cancer and died shortly thereafter; many plants that were exposed to disease did not get the disease, as opposed to the control group of plants that was not fertilized with sea minerals, and did get the disease. …” https://ag-usa.net/g_Maynard_Murray_Experiments.htm

[atomicspacebunny]

Trace (micron particulates) elements and minerals AT WORK (maybe just partially?) with grass-fed animals?

Offal: Are Organ Meats Healthy to Eat?
“…(2) Livers from grain-fed beef, for one, will often puncture and mush at the touch of a finger, while healthy livers from grass-fed beef are firm and strong to the touch — not to mention an appropriate size for the animal. …” https://draxe.com/offal/

[Shadylady1]

Vitamin K2 for heart, bone, teeth etc. K2 is found in grass fed animals.
Possibly perfect human diet quote…? Only animal designed to eat seeds are birds.

https://www.westonaprice.org

https://www.westonaprice.org/cure-for-cancer-activator-x-may-be-the-missing-link/

Some quick links to get going if this is new info for anyone.