Small farms have been vanishing across America as competition from huge agricultural concerns makes it hard for the little guy to make a living. However, there are ways for savvy owners to make a respectable income. Running a grass fed beef farm is one proven way to get ahead.
The idea of producing meat for the market on grass rather than on grain fits very well with modern economic factors and preferences. Since they can't win a price war with giant enterprises, small farmers realized they needed to find a niche in which they could succeed. The methods that successful entrepreneur farmers have come up with have spread across the industry and brought new life to families that want to live off the land.
As a product that both research and marketing has convinced people is healthier, grass-fed beef can command a higher price. Many consumers feel that cattle raised in a natural way - on pasture - will give higher-quality meat. They also prefer free-range eggs and organic produce. Consider the popularity of Farmers' Markets across the nation, and you will see the market niche these rural businessmen have found.
Research has validated the belief that home-grown produce and pastured meats are healthier than the usual mass-market fare. Chemical residues in picked-when-green produce and hormones and antibiotics in animals destined for human consumption concern many people. Especially when truck farms, orchards, and meat producers use few or no chemicals to grow and protect their crops and animals, the food is fresh, nutrient-rich, and flavorful.
As for the nutritional content of beef, research has shown that the pastured variety contains essential fatty acids not found in meats produced in cages or feedlots. The feeding of grains apparently inhibits the production of a nutrient called CLA by the animal. CLA is used by the human body to break down saturated fat. You can buy the nutrient in a health food store, or you can get it in naturally raised meat.
A farmer with pastureland can expend energy once devoted to the laborious and expensive growing of grain to improving his green fields. The cost of raising cattle on pasture is much less than that of raising them in confinement or finishing (fattening) them with grain. Since grasses and legumes like clover and alfalfa improve the soil rather than robbing it of nutrients as corn does, the fertility of the land is protected and chemical fertilizer use can be reduced or eliminated.
As well as saving money on production and vet care (feedlots are known to be unhealthy for the cattle that are crowded into them), a farmer raising cattle on pasture has a product that the huge producers cannot match. The fact that it takes more land and more time to raise cattle this way discourages factory-farm managers. By raising consumer awareness of the health and environmental benefits of grass-fed meat (pastured poultry is also popular), farmers can establish a secure niche in the local market.
There are big ranches out west that sell this kind of naturally-raised meat to large grocery chains. However, almost every grass fed beef farm is run by a single family wanting to make a good living and provide a quality product to their customers. They deserve our support.
The idea of producing meat for the market on grass rather than on grain fits very well with modern economic factors and preferences. Since they can't win a price war with giant enterprises, small farmers realized they needed to find a niche in which they could succeed. The methods that successful entrepreneur farmers have come up with have spread across the industry and brought new life to families that want to live off the land.
As a product that both research and marketing has convinced people is healthier, grass-fed beef can command a higher price. Many consumers feel that cattle raised in a natural way - on pasture - will give higher-quality meat. They also prefer free-range eggs and organic produce. Consider the popularity of Farmers' Markets across the nation, and you will see the market niche these rural businessmen have found.
Research has validated the belief that home-grown produce and pastured meats are healthier than the usual mass-market fare. Chemical residues in picked-when-green produce and hormones and antibiotics in animals destined for human consumption concern many people. Especially when truck farms, orchards, and meat producers use few or no chemicals to grow and protect their crops and animals, the food is fresh, nutrient-rich, and flavorful.
As for the nutritional content of beef, research has shown that the pastured variety contains essential fatty acids not found in meats produced in cages or feedlots. The feeding of grains apparently inhibits the production of a nutrient called CLA by the animal. CLA is used by the human body to break down saturated fat. You can buy the nutrient in a health food store, or you can get it in naturally raised meat.
A farmer with pastureland can expend energy once devoted to the laborious and expensive growing of grain to improving his green fields. The cost of raising cattle on pasture is much less than that of raising them in confinement or finishing (fattening) them with grain. Since grasses and legumes like clover and alfalfa improve the soil rather than robbing it of nutrients as corn does, the fertility of the land is protected and chemical fertilizer use can be reduced or eliminated.
As well as saving money on production and vet care (feedlots are known to be unhealthy for the cattle that are crowded into them), a farmer raising cattle on pasture has a product that the huge producers cannot match. The fact that it takes more land and more time to raise cattle this way discourages factory-farm managers. By raising consumer awareness of the health and environmental benefits of grass-fed meat (pastured poultry is also popular), farmers can establish a secure niche in the local market.
There are big ranches out west that sell this kind of naturally-raised meat to large grocery chains. However, almost every grass fed beef farm is run by a single family wanting to make a good living and provide a quality product to their customers. They deserve our support.