TWO WAYS TO RAISE CATTLE
Raising conventional and grass-fed cattle is much the same in the first two phases of the animal’s life. But conventional cattle then shift to a grain-based diet and gain weight much faster.
“The slaughter and processing world is all about efficiency,” said Lee Graese’s son, Sean. “We have a little different philosophy. We work at a snail’s pace when we are out there during the field harvest. It’s better for the rancher and the consumer and the animal.” …
Purists like Graese prefer to keep their bisons’ diet 100 percent grass-based to mirror the animal’s natural grazing patterns. It also helps maximize the nutritional benefits of the meat, offering a healthier omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, and higher rates of vitamins like A and E. …
…the expansion of grass-fed production can help to meet global demand while providing environmental benefits. Two-thirds of the world’s agricultural land is marginal, he said, which means the only food production it can support is grazing for cows, sheep and other livestock.
He said he believes that intensive rotational grazing, like the system championed by the Savory Institute, is the best use of such land.
“When you put livestock on land, you turn dirt into soil,” he said. “They give life to the land.”
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