Grass-Fed Beef

[AlienRobotAnthropologist]

I'd like to try incorporating grass-fed beef and other such meats into my diet. The only problem is they're outrageously expensive at the grocery store. What's the cheapest way to get grass-fed beef?

[Morning Glory]

We buy direct from a farmer. His beef isn't 100% grass fed but it is pasture raised and finished (the cows get some grain during winter but never go to a feedlot. You pay per pound hanging weight and usually get 60-75% of that. Processing is another $150 or so, but it still comes out cheaper than the non-fancy meat from the store, and tastes a lot better too. If you have a small family you can split with a neighbor or several. The meat stays good for a long time in a chest freeze, you don't need a vacuum sealer or anything.  Our butcher just double wraps the meat in paper and it tastes fine, even after 2 years in the freezer.

[FallenTimber]

A few suggestions:

1. Like MrsWolfe said, if you can buy direct from the rancher, you’re going to be supporting a local rancher as well as getting a fair price. You’ll get to see first hand the type of environment the cattle were raised in and have a closer connection with your food. Find friends or family members with similar nutrition goals and go in a full, 1/2, or 1/4 beef to save money. Beef prices fluctuate similar to other commodities, so around here, rainfall tends to correlate closely with the cost (more rain equals less hay, less hay equals less cost).

2. Remember that all meat isn’t created equal, nor is all grass fed beef. “Beef” is usually categorized as one food, but there are numerous breeds of cattle and some are leaner than others. For example, we prefer Scottish Highland cattle because it’s the leanest cattle breed on the market. You can also look at bison, venison, and elk, all of which tend to be much healthier choices than your average supermarket beef.

3. Don’t get too caught up in the price. I know it’s MMM, but eat half as much meat, and you can afford twice the quality. Food is one area that I don’t skimp on. You only have one body and all the money in the world means nothing without your health.

4. While you’re at it, look into CSA shares for your produce needs. You can save a lot of money going that route vs buying organic at a grocery store.

[NV Teacher]

Buy from a grower.  I just got a half a beef cut to my specifications, roasts, steaks, prime rib, tenderloin, and lean hamburger.  I paid $2.80 a pound for everything.  That paid the grower as well as the slaughter and custom butchering.  I haven’t had beef from the store for years.

[chouchouu]

In Australia only 3% of cattle is fed on grain, and that is mostly supplementing their usual feed due to drought and things like that. They still advertise "grass fed" beef at he supermarket even though it's just a marketing ploy considering it's pretty much all grass fed anyhow. I would do some research because the US might be the same.

[Shane]

Local Harvest and Eat Wild allow you to type in your zip code to find nearby farms and ranches selling direct to consumers.

ETA: This blog post on how to buy meat direct has some good tips, as well.

[frooglepoodle]

Excellent advice above.

I'd also add that we mainly eat ground beef these days: chilis, bolognese sauce, casseroles, stir-fries, taco meat, burgers, etc. It's not the absolute least expensive way to go, but it seems that roasts, stew meat, and other cheap cuts that cost less per pound also require more cooking time. Ground beef is a good balance on cost and ease of cooking, in my experience.

2. Remember that all meat isn’t created equal, nor is all grass fed beef. “Beef” is usually categorized as one food, but there are numerous breeds of cattle and some are leaner than others. For example, we prefer Scottish Highland cattle because it’s the leanest cattle breed on the market. You can also look at bison, venison, and elk, all of which tend to be much healthier choices than your average supermarket beef.

We really like Piedmontese beef for a special treat. Best short ribs I've ever had!

[Scandium]

Why? Is it proven to be any heather? (at least as much as red meat can be called healthy)

I don't know, but I'm curious. Since you're pursuing this I assume you've looked into the befits vs costs?

[MustachianKentuckian]

We also buy direct from a farmer and also we have really cut our meat portion sizes, and load up more on veggies, whole grains, and fruit.  We did this for health reasons, not financial, but it does save money as well.

[Thegoblinchief]

Why? Is it proven to be any heather? (at least as much as red meat can be called healthy)

I don't know, but I'm curious. Since you're pursuing this I assume you've looked into the befits vs costs?

Beef that’s 100% raised and finished on pasture has higher omega-3 than cattle finished on grain. It is their natural diet. If the grazing is properly managed, it’s also very good for the environment. The pulsing action of rotating livestock through small paddocks simulated the way bison moved across the prairies. Good grass farmers can build topsoil (thus sequestering carbon) very quickly, often more than 100x faster than the unmanaged climax ecosystem of their bio region. Poorly managed pasture is still better than beef kept on a feedlot, but can end up with erosion and nutrient leaching because the manure builds up too much in one area.

To the OP, like what others said, search out good farmers you can buy direct from. The best price is usually “bulk”. Some farmers will do both bulk and retail sales, but the inspection requirements for the processor are different so many farmers will only do bulk orders. I buy from a friend that runs about 50 head Joel Salatin style (small paddocks, moved every 1-2 days). His prices aren’t much more than conventional beef at the store. Because he does retail cuts and we mainly eat ground beef and cheaper cuts like chuck roasts, sirloin, etc I’m fine buying retail but we are saving slowly for a 1/2 to get some of the nicer cuts cheaply.

[Trifle]

Great tips here.  My best sources over the years have been local farms.  You can meet and talk to those folks at the farmers' market, or by asking around.  If you can't find someone right in your town, +1 for eatwild.com.  On there you can find farmers in your area to source beef and lots of other things.  Many of them will ship too, or you could make just one or two trips per year to the farm for big orders.

I've found it harder to find local sources of pastured pork than beef.  But they're out there -- you just need to find them. 

[NorthernBlitz]

+1 for local farmers.

We get locally farmed grass fed beef direct for the farmer for ~ $4.50 / lb. I think that normal processed beef around here is about $4/lb so it's close to the same. The price goes down a bit if you get at least a quarter cow. We've done that once (and a half pig), but it means that you need a bunch of room in the freezer.

I think that one of the tricks is to stick to ground beef and tough cuts (like brisket). I find that the steaks from the farmer have a much larger markup than these items. When we get steak (not often), we'll usually go to BJs (like a smaller market Costco) and get steak there. It's significantly less expensive than the farmer and still Angus beef, so someone is at least inspecting the process to certify it (not as good as organic or grass fed, but at least there is some external verification).

[jeninco]

As others have said, if you buy a half steer you'll pay about ground beef prices (for hanging weight, though, which is more then after it's cut) but you'll get everything from ground beef to filet and ribeye steaks. Learn to cook liver (pate!) and heart, and take the soup bones and tail (roast them and then make soup).  You're paying for the whole thing, so you may as well eat it.

I even get the dog bones, and make friends with the neighborhood dogs...

[Fishindude]

Nearly all beef is grass fed for the majority of their lives.   Soon as they are weaned, they are put to pasture eating the grass they are walking around in, supplemented with round bales of hay (more grass) that the farmer brings to them as needed.    Just prior to sale, they are typically moved to a feedlot and some grain is added to their diet to get a little fat and "marbling" in the meat for better taste and tenderness.    You wouldn't have to bring them to the feedlot for those last few weeks, but the meat would be tougher and the majority of the world prefers a little fat in their beef.

Just buy off of any local farmer that pasture raises their beef, and purchase it at a lighter weight before going to the feedlot and you will have "grass fed beef".   
It's really nothing special, and it's not as tasty to most consumers.

[Case]

A few suggestions:

1. Like MrsWolfe said, if you can buy direct from the rancher, you’re going to be supporting a local rancher as well as getting a fair price. You’ll get to see first hand the type of environment the cattle were raised in and have a closer connection with your food. Find friends or family members with similar nutrition goals and go in a full, 1/2, or 1/4 beef to save money. Beef prices fluctuate similar to other commodities, so around here, rainfall tends to correlate closely with the cost (more rain equals less hay, less hay equals less cost).

2. Remember that all meat isn’t created equal, nor is all grass fed beef. “Beef” is usually categorized as one food, but there are numerous breeds of cattle and some are leaner than others. For example, we prefer Scottish Highland cattle because it’s the leanest cattle breed on the market. You can also look at bison, venison, and elk, all of which tend to be much healthier choices than your average supermarket beef.

3. Don’t get too caught up in the price. I know it’s MMM, but eat half as much meat, and you can afford twice the quality. Food is one area that I don’t skimp on. You only have one body and all the money in the world means nothing without your health.

4. While you’re at it, look into CSA shares for your produce needs. You can save a lot of money going that route vs buying organic at a grocery store.

There are good points.  Also worth considering, if you eat the leanest beef possible, what's the point?  Just trying to get a bunch of protein without the fat?  Nicely marbled meat is expensive for a reason (e.g. high demand).

My personal philosophy is to treat meat like a delicacy.  There are a lot of cons to meat, such as ethics, health, environmental aspects, and cost, which contrast the counter arguments such as the good taste, nutrition, and the fact that man has been eating meat forever and some of the ethics arguments make little sense.

All of these things can be addressed by eating less of it and using that absence of meat in your life to make you savor it more when you do have it.

I did a CSA back 5 years ago.  It was a good value, lb per $.  Still, it was not worth it.  Here's why:  it encouraged me to eat more eat.  We had to buy a separate chest freezer to handle the quantity, which adds to the total cost (including electricity bill).  Perhaps most importantly, we didn't get to choose all of the cuts of beef that we received.  This resulted in us exploring a bit, which is good, but also resulted in us eating less of what we would have gotten otherwise, which impacted the 'savoring it' part.

Anyways, in the end, the quality of the CSA beef (at least our farm) was very good, but I think we prefer the independence afforded by being able to go to a grocery store and buy the meat we want when we want it.    Maybe an exception for something like ground beef which is pretty versatile.

[Case]

Why? Is it proven to be any heather? (at least as much as red meat can be called healthy)

I don't know, but I'm curious. Since you're pursuing this I assume you've looked into the befits vs costs?

Beef that’s 100% raised and finished on pasture has higher omega-3 than cattle finished on grain. It is their natural diet. If the grazing is properly managed, it’s also very good for the environment. The pulsing action of rotating livestock through small paddocks simulated the way bison moved across the prairies. Good grass farmers can build topsoil (thus sequestering carbon) very quickly, often more than 100x faster than the unmanaged climax ecosystem of their bio region. Poorly managed pasture is still better than beef kept on a feedlot, but can end up with erosion and nutrient leaching because the manure builds up too much in one area.

To the OP, like what others said, search out good farmers you can buy direct from. The best price is usually “bulk”. Some farmers will do both bulk and retail sales, but the inspection requirements for the processor are different so many farmers will only do bulk orders. I buy from a friend that runs about 50 head Joel Salatin style (small paddocks, moved every 1-2 days). His prices aren’t much more than conventional beef at the store. Because he does retail cuts and we mainly eat ground beef and cheaper cuts like chuck roasts, sirloin, etc I’m fine buying retail but we are saving slowly for a 1/2 to get some of the nicer cuts cheaply.

There are more omega 3s, but I don't think there is hard evidence that it's healthier.  For one, although there are more omega 3s, I'm not certain that the levels get high enough to make a big impact on overall diet.  In addition, I'd be curious how high the omega 3 levels remain after cooking; keep in mind that omega 3s i think are the most prone to oxidation.

If you want to get more omega 3s (and I'm not certain whether there is a strong scientific consensus to their health benefits), eat more chia or flax seeds (latter need to be ground).  And if you want to be healthier in general, than probably lower the consumption overall of red meat, processed meat, and fatty meat.

[Scandium]

Why? Is it proven to be any heather? (at least as much as red meat can be called healthy)

I don't know, but I'm curious. Since you're pursuing this I assume you've looked into the befits vs costs?

Beef that’s 100% raised and finished on pasture has higher omega-3 than cattle finished on grain. It is their natural diet. If the grazing is properly managed, it’s also very good for the environment. The pulsing action of rotating livestock through small paddocks simulated the way bison moved across the prairies. Good grass farmers can build topsoil (thus sequestering carbon) very quickly, often more than 100x faster than the unmanaged climax ecosystem of their bio region. Poorly managed pasture is still better than beef kept on a feedlot, but can end up with erosion and nutrient leaching because the manure builds up too much in one area.

To the OP, like what others said, search out good farmers you can buy direct from. The best price is usually “bulk”. Some farmers will do both bulk and retail sales, but the inspection requirements for the processor are different so many farmers will only do bulk orders. I buy from a friend that runs about 50 head Joel Salatin style (small paddocks, moved every 1-2 days). His prices aren’t much more than conventional beef at the store. Because he does retail cuts and we mainly eat ground beef and cheaper cuts like chuck roasts, sirloin, etc I’m fine buying retail but we are saving slowly for a 1/2 to get some of the nicer cuts cheaply.

There are more omega 3s, but I don't think there is hard evidence that it's healthier.  For one, although there are more omega 3s, I'm not certain that the levels get high enough to make a big impact on overall diet.  In addition, I'd be curious how high the omega 3 levels remain after cooking; keep in mind that omega 3s i think are the most prone to oxidation.

If you want to get more omega 3s (and I'm not certain whether there is a strong scientific consensus to their health benefits), eat more chia or flax seeds (latter need to be ground).  And if you want to be healthier in general, than probably lower the consumption overall of red meat, processed meat, and fatty meat.

I don't quite see the point of going after grass-fed beef for omega-3 either. Just eating more fish seems like a better option?. It's overall healthier anyway, and also more environmentally friendly as well. Raising cows to eat, who roam around massive grasslands is absurdly costly and in no way sustainable if the whole planet would eat like that. Not to mention the huge water use and methane emissions. Calling any form of beef "good for the environment" is pretty absurd. Thankfully most of the world get their protein from fish (I know OP did list this as a reason so perhaps not applicable, but maybe for others).

Flax and chia seeds have the ALA and EPA oemga-3 fats, but lack the DHA fats that are found in seafood. DHA is the one that is associated with the main health benefits from omega-3, so eating more seeds is pretty pointless if that's what you're after.

Paying more (for already expensive) beef when the only benefit is slightly more omega-3 which you can get much cheaper and healthier from other sources seems inefficient and a waster of money. Just eat regular meat (or preferably no beef at all) and more fish. 

[trollwithamustache]

as others have said, buy direct from the rancher. (and get a chest feezer so you can hold a hundred lbs of cheap healthy beef).

Re: the benefits of grass fed argument: I don't get heart burn on grass fed meats the way I can on say, an outback steak house orgy.

[tyrannostache]

Figuring out what "grass-fed" actually means is a bit dicey. Does it mean the cattle lived most of their life on pasture, then were "finished" at a feedlot? Does it mean they lived their entire life grazing on the range? To the best of my knowledge, some of beef labeled "grass-fed" is actually the former--they were pasture-raised for 15-18 months or so, then fattened up at a grain-based feedlot. They still had more time on pasture than conventional beef, but there's not really an official definition of the term anymore. "Grass-finished" beef are raised entirely on grass, which takes a lot longer, yields smaller animals, and is more rare and definitely more expensive.

A lot of the "grass-fed" labeling may just be marketing--the USDA no longer has a solid definition of "grass-fed."

[Shane]

Figuring out what "grass-fed" actually means is a bit dicey. Does it mean the cattle lived most of their life on pasture, then were "finished" at a feedlot? Does it mean they lived their entire life grazing on the range? To the best of my knowledge, some of beef labeled "grass-fed" is actually the former--they were pasture-raised for 15-18 months or so, then fattened up at a grain-based feedlot. They still had more time on pasture than conventional beef, but there's not really an official definition of the term anymore. "Grass-finished" beef are raised entirely on grass, which takes a lot longer, yields smaller animals, and is more rare and definitely more expensive.

A lot of the "grass-fed" labeling may just be marketing--the USDA no longer has a solid definition of "grass-fed."

^^+1 Agreed that when you're buying meat from unknown, often distant, sources in a store, it can be hard to decipher exactly what is meant by marketing slogans like "grass fed." Labels on food often don't mean (exactly) what a reasonable consumer might think they do. That's why it's best to buy meat directly from a farmer you know IRL and trust. Sometimes, it may be possible to personally visit a farm or ranch you're thinking of buying meat from. Just ask the farmer. You might even be able to "meet" the cow that is destined for your freezer if you like. At the very least, you should be able to question the person who is producing the meat you would like to buy about her definition of the term "grass fed." If you trust the producer and feel comfortable with his explanation of the way the cow was raised, then go ahead and buy a quarter or half a cow and see how you like it. If that's too much meat to fit in your freezer, either buy a bigger freezer or else talk with friends, coworkers, neighbors, etc, and try to find some people to split it with you.

[boarder42]

Nearly all beef is grass fed for the majority of their lives.   Soon as they are weaned, they are put to pasture eating the grass they are walking around in, supplemented with round bales of hay (more grass) that the farmer brings to them as needed.    Just prior to sale, they are typically moved to a feedlot and some grain is added to their diet to get a little fat and "marbling" in the meat for better taste and tenderness.    You wouldn't have to bring them to the feedlot for those last few weeks, but the meat would be tougher and the majority of the world prefers a little fat in their beef.

Just buy off of any local farmer that pasture raises their beef, and purchase it at a lighter weight before going to the feedlot and you will have "grass fed beef".   
It's really nothing special, and it's not as tasty to most consumers.

this is basically a good summary of how cows should be fed. 

I buy off a local friend mostly grass fed but you want them grain finished or they taste like ass -

pricing posted above is about right - i have a relationship so i get my cow at cost - its about 2.20/lb in the freezer all said and done.  which is a bit high for GB and extremely low for everything else.  But remember grocery store beef is pumped up with water and nitrogen to preserve it so that 2.20/lb i'm paying is probably 20% cheaper all said and done when you account for all the water you pay for at the store.

[Thegoblinchief]

Why? Is it proven to be any heather? (at least as much as red meat can be called healthy)

I don't know, but I'm curious. Since you're pursuing this I assume you've looked into the befits vs costs?

Beef that’s 100% raised and finished on pasture has higher omega-3 than cattle finished on grain. It is their natural diet. If the grazing is properly managed, it’s also very good for the environment. The pulsing action of rotating livestock through small paddocks simulated the way bison moved across the prairies. Good grass farmers can build topsoil (thus sequestering carbon) very quickly, often more than 100x faster than the unmanaged climax ecosystem of their bio region. Poorly managed pasture is still better than beef kept on a feedlot, but can end up with erosion and nutrient leaching because the manure builds up too much in one area.

To the OP, like what others said, search out good farmers you can buy direct from. The best price is usually “bulk”. Some farmers will do both bulk and retail sales, but the inspection requirements for the processor are different so many farmers will only do bulk orders. I buy from a friend that runs about 50 head Joel Salatin style (small paddocks, moved every 1-2 days). His prices aren’t much more than conventional beef at the store. Because he does retail cuts and we mainly eat ground beef and cheaper cuts like chuck roasts, sirloin, etc I’m fine buying retail but we are saving slowly for a 1/2 to get some of the nicer cuts cheaply.

There are more omega 3s, but I don't think there is hard evidence that it's healthier.  For one, although there are more omega 3s, I'm not certain that the levels get high enough to make a big impact on overall diet.  In addition, I'd be curious how high the omega 3 levels remain after cooking; keep in mind that omega 3s i think are the most prone to oxidation.

If you want to get more omega 3s (and I'm not certain whether there is a strong scientific consensus to their health benefits), eat more chia or flax seeds (latter need to be ground).  And if you want to be healthier in general, than probably lower the consumption overall of red meat, processed meat, and fatty meat.

I don't quite see the point of going after grass-fed beef for omega-3 either. Just eating more fish seems like a better option?. It's overall healthier anyway, and also more environmentally friendly as well. Raising cows to eat, who roam around massive grasslands is absurdly costly and in no way sustainable if the whole planet would eat like that. Not to mention the huge water use and methane emissions. Calling any form of beef "good for the environment" is pretty absurd. Thankfully most of the world get their protein from fish (I know OP did list this as a reason so perhaps not applicable, but maybe for others).

Flax and chia seeds have the ALA and EPA oemga-3 fats, but lack the DHA fats that are found in seafood. DHA is the one that is associated with the main health benefits from omega-3, so eating more seeds is pretty pointless if that's what you're after.

Paying more (for already expensive) beef when the only benefit is slightly more omega-3 which you can get much cheaper and healthier from other sources seems inefficient and a waster of money. Just eat regular meat (or preferably no beef at all) and more fish.

Fish is some of the least sustainable stuff the way it’s currently managed. Fish farming has huge issues, and many of the wild fisheries are collapsing because the ocean can’t keep up with demand.

Beef, properly raised with intensively managed grazing, builds topsoil at a rate 10-100x what unmanaged climax ecosystems do. Look at the work of folks like Joel Salatin, Allan Savory, Ben Falk, etc. Contrary to what’s claimed by folks who don’t understand good agricultural practices, pulsing herbivores sequester a ton of carbon.

An animal that can be raised birth to finish 100% on perennial forage is the most sustainable, not the least. Environmental studies that demonize cows have numerous flaws that really frustrate me and others who study regenerative forms of agriculture. Just about any regenerative model of agriculture involves a ruminant on perennial pasture as part of the diversified ecological model. Sheep and goats are good as well. Rabbits can be fed 100% on perennial forage but it’s much more labor intensive. Pork can fatten 100% on forage but not on any commercially profitable timescale. Meat chickens can’t either.

On taste, that’s somewhat personal preference, I’ve certainly heard folks having bad grass-finished beef experience. Sometimes that’s because the carcasses are chilled too fast (they cool down faster than fattier corn finished cows. Sometimes it’s because the rancher has bad management. Sometimes it’s bad genetics. Sometimes it’s because they were slaughtered at a time when they were on hay only rather than on fresh pasture. I’ve never personally had a cut that “tasted like ass”.

[Shane]

Why? Is it proven to be any heather? (at least as much as red meat can be called healthy)

I don't know, but I'm curious. Since you're pursuing this I assume you've looked into the befits vs costs?

Beef that’s 100% raised and finished on pasture has higher omega-3 than cattle finished on grain. It is their natural diet. If the grazing is properly managed, it’s also very good for the environment. The pulsing action of rotating livestock through small paddocks simulated the way bison moved across the prairies. Good grass farmers can build topsoil (thus sequestering carbon) very quickly, often more than 100x faster than the unmanaged climax ecosystem of their bio region. Poorly managed pasture is still better than beef kept on a feedlot, but can end up with erosion and nutrient leaching because the manure builds up too much in one area.

To the OP, like what others said, search out good farmers you can buy direct from. The best price is usually “bulk”. Some farmers will do both bulk and retail sales, but the inspection requirements for the processor are different so many farmers will only do bulk orders. I buy from a friend that runs about 50 head Joel Salatin style (small paddocks, moved every 1-2 days). His prices aren’t much more than conventional beef at the store. Because he does retail cuts and we mainly eat ground beef and cheaper cuts like chuck roasts, sirloin, etc I’m fine buying retail but we are saving slowly for a 1/2 to get some of the nicer cuts cheaply.

There are more omega 3s, but I don't think there is hard evidence that it's healthier.  For one, although there are more omega 3s, I'm not certain that the levels get high enough to make a big impact on overall diet.  In addition, I'd be curious how high the omega 3 levels remain after cooking; keep in mind that omega 3s i think are the most prone to oxidation.

If you want to get more omega 3s (and I'm not certain whether there is a strong scientific consensus to their health benefits), eat more chia or flax seeds (latter need to be ground).  And if you want to be healthier in general, than probably lower the consumption overall of red meat, processed meat, and fatty meat.

I don't quite see the point of going after grass-fed beef for omega-3 either. Just eating more fish seems like a better option?. It's overall healthier anyway, and also more environmentally friendly as well. Raising cows to eat, who roam around massive grasslands is absurdly costly and in no way sustainable if the whole planet would eat like that. Not to mention the huge water use and methane emissions. Calling any form of beef "good for the environment" is pretty absurd. Thankfully most of the world get their protein from fish (I know OP did list this as a reason so perhaps not applicable, but maybe for others).

Flax and chia seeds have the ALA and EPA oemga-3 fats, but lack the DHA fats that are found in seafood. DHA is the one that is associated with the main health benefits from omega-3, so eating more seeds is pretty pointless if that's what you're after.

Paying more (for already expensive) beef when the only benefit is slightly more omega-3 which you can get much cheaper and healthier from other sources seems inefficient and a waster of money. Just eat regular meat (or preferably no beef at all) and more fish.

Fish is some of the least sustainable stuff the way it’s currently managed. Fish farming has huge issues, and many of the wild fisheries are collapsing because the ocean can’t keep up with demand.

Beef, properly raised with intensively managed grazing, builds topsoil at a rate 10-100x what unmanaged climax ecosystems do. Look at the work of folks like Joel Salatin, Allan Savory, Ben Falk, etc. Contrary to what’s claimed by folks who don’t understand good agricultural practices, pulsing herbivores sequester a ton of carbon.

An animal that can be raised birth to finish 100% on perennial forage is the most sustainable, not the least. Environmental studies that demonize cows have numerous flaws that really frustrate me and others who study regenerative forms of agriculture. Just about any regenerative model of agriculture involves a ruminant on perennial pasture as part of the diversified ecological model. Sheep and goats are good as well. Rabbits can be fed 100% on perennial forage but it’s much more labor intensive. Pork can fatten 100% on forage but not on any commercially profitable timescale. Meat chickens can’t either.

On taste, that’s somewhat personal preference, I’ve certainly heard folks having bad grass-finished beef experience. Sometimes that’s because the carcasses are chilled too fast (they cool down faster than fattier corn finished cows. Sometimes it’s because the rancher has bad management. Sometimes it’s bad genetics. Sometimes it’s because they were slaughtered at a time when they were on hay only rather than on fresh pasture. I’ve never personally had a cut that “tasted like ass”.

@HarbingerofBunnies knows exactly what he's talking about! Livestock managed intensively on perennial pastures of legumes and grass can actually sequester more carbon from the atmosphere than a forest full of trees. Rather than tilling up land to plant soybeans and corn to feed to cows and other herbivores, which makes them and their meat less healthy, causes soil erosion and contributes to global climate change, we all need to start supporting farmers who are using management intensive grazing to improve their land by building up the topsoil, rather than supporting farmers who are doing the equivalent of strip mining their properties by overgrazing them.

[Cromacster]

Why? Is it proven to be any heather? (at least as much as red meat can be called healthy)

I don't know, but I'm curious. Since you're pursuing this I assume you've looked into the befits vs costs?

Beef that’s 100% raised and finished on pasture has higher omega-3 than cattle finished on grain. It is their natural diet. If the grazing is properly managed, it’s also very good for the environment. The pulsing action of rotating livestock through small paddocks simulated the way bison moved across the prairies. Good grass farmers can build topsoil (thus sequestering carbon) very quickly, often more than 100x faster than the unmanaged climax ecosystem of their bio region. Poorly managed pasture is still better than beef kept on a feedlot, but can end up with erosion and nutrient leaching because the manure builds up too much in one area.

To the OP, like what others said, search out good farmers you can buy direct from. The best price is usually “bulk”. Some farmers will do both bulk and retail sales, but the inspection requirements for the processor are different so many farmers will only do bulk orders. I buy from a friend that runs about 50 head Joel Salatin style (small paddocks, moved every 1-2 days). His prices aren’t much more than conventional beef at the store. Because he does retail cuts and we mainly eat ground beef and cheaper cuts like chuck roasts, sirloin, etc I’m fine buying retail but we are saving slowly for a 1/2 to get some of the nicer cuts cheaply.

There are more omega 3s, but I don't think there is hard evidence that it's healthier.  For one, although there are more omega 3s, I'm not certain that the levels get high enough to make a big impact on overall diet.  In addition, I'd be curious how high the omega 3 levels remain after cooking; keep in mind that omega 3s i think are the most prone to oxidation.

If you want to get more omega 3s (and I'm not certain whether there is a strong scientific consensus to their health benefits), eat more chia or flax seeds (latter need to be ground).  And if you want to be healthier in general, than probably lower the consumption overall of red meat, processed meat, and fatty meat.

I don't quite see the point of going after grass-fed beef for omega-3 either. Just eating more fish seems like a better option?. It's overall healthier anyway, and also more environmentally friendly as well. Raising cows to eat, who roam around massive grasslands is absurdly costly and in no way sustainable if the whole planet would eat like that. Not to mention the huge water use and methane emissions. Calling any form of beef "good for the environment" is pretty absurd. Thankfully most of the world get their protein from fish (I know OP did list this as a reason so perhaps not applicable, but maybe for others).

Flax and chia seeds have the ALA and EPA oemga-3 fats, but lack the DHA fats that are found in seafood. DHA is the one that is associated with the main health benefits from omega-3, so eating more seeds is pretty pointless if that's what you're after.

Paying more (for already expensive) beef when the only benefit is slightly more omega-3 which you can get much cheaper and healthier from other sources seems inefficient and a waster of money. Just eat regular meat (or preferably no beef at all) and more fish.

Fish is some of the least sustainable stuff the way it’s currently managed. Fish farming has huge issues, and many of the wild fisheries are collapsing because the ocean can’t keep up with demand.

Beef, properly raised with intensively managed grazing, builds topsoil at a rate 10-100x what unmanaged climax ecosystems do. Look at the work of folks like Joel Salatin, Allan Savory, Ben Falk, etc. Contrary to what’s claimed by folks who don’t understand good agricultural practices, pulsing herbivores sequester a ton of carbon.

An animal that can be raised birth to finish 100% on perennial forage is the most sustainable, not the least. Environmental studies that demonize cows have numerous flaws that really frustrate me and others who study regenerative forms of agriculture. Just about any regenerative model of agriculture involves a ruminant on perennial pasture as part of the diversified ecological model. Sheep and goats are good as well. Rabbits can be fed 100% on perennial forage but it’s much more labor intensive. Pork can fatten 100% on forage but not on any commercially profitable timescale. Meat chickens can’t either.

On taste, that’s somewhat personal preference, I’ve certainly heard folks having bad grass-finished beef experience. Sometimes that’s because the carcasses are chilled too fast (they cool down faster than fattier corn finished cows. Sometimes it’s because the rancher has bad management. Sometimes it’s bad genetics. Sometimes it’s because they were slaughtered at a time when they were on hay only rather than on fresh pasture. I’ve never personally had a cut that “tasted like ass”.

I only purchase beef from a local cooperative of sorts.  A local guy connects with local small scale ranchers (most have 10-20 cows) and handles the processing and sale of the meat.  They are all grass fed.  Also does some pork and chicken.  Pretty neat operation and he delivers it to my gym, so convenient too.  If you are in MN/WI area let me know if you are interested and I can give you details.

I can't say it tastes like ass, but Grass-fed/finished definitely has a different taste.  To me it's almost a fishy taste.  I assume is the due to the different fat profile, more omega 3s and what not.
 Ground beef I don't care.  It makes a good burger and no noticeable difference in something like taco meat.  It all changes when it comes to steak.  To date, I have not had a grass-fed steak that is better than a corn finished one.  Though if someone is offering to supply the steak, I am willing to be proven wrong :)

[Case]

Why? Is it proven to be any heather? (at least as much as red meat can be called healthy)

I don't know, but I'm curious. Since you're pursuing this I assume you've looked into the befits vs costs?

Beef that’s 100% raised and finished on pasture has higher omega-3 than cattle finished on grain. It is their natural diet. If the grazing is properly managed, it’s also very good for the environment. The pulsing action of rotating livestock through small paddocks simulated the way bison moved across the prairies. Good grass farmers can build topsoil (thus sequestering carbon) very quickly, often more than 100x faster than the unmanaged climax ecosystem of their bio region. Poorly managed pasture is still better than beef kept on a feedlot, but can end up with erosion and nutrient leaching because the manure builds up too much in one area.

To the OP, like what others said, search out good farmers you can buy direct from. The best price is usually “bulk”. Some farmers will do both bulk and retail sales, but the inspection requirements for the processor are different so many farmers will only do bulk orders. I buy from a friend that runs about 50 head Joel Salatin style (small paddocks, moved every 1-2 days). His prices aren’t much more than conventional beef at the store. Because he does retail cuts and we mainly eat ground beef and cheaper cuts like chuck roasts, sirloin, etc I’m fine buying retail but we are saving slowly for a 1/2 to get some of the nicer cuts cheaply.

There are more omega 3s, but I don't think there is hard evidence that it's healthier.  For one, although there are more omega 3s, I'm not certain that the levels get high enough to make a big impact on overall diet.  In addition, I'd be curious how high the omega 3 levels remain after cooking; keep in mind that omega 3s i think are the most prone to oxidation.

If you want to get more omega 3s (and I'm not certain whether there is a strong scientific consensus to their health benefits), eat more chia or flax seeds (latter need to be ground).  And if you want to be healthier in general, than probably lower the consumption overall of red meat, processed meat, and fatty meat.

I don't quite see the point of going after grass-fed beef for omega-3 either. Just eating more fish seems like a better option?. It's overall healthier anyway, and also more environmentally friendly as well. Raising cows to eat, who roam around massive grasslands is absurdly costly and in no way sustainable if the whole planet would eat like that. Not to mention the huge water use and methane emissions. Calling any form of beef "good for the environment" is pretty absurd. Thankfully most of the world get their protein from fish (I know OP did list this as a reason so perhaps not applicable, but maybe for others).

Flax and chia seeds have the ALA and EPA oemga-3 fats, but lack the DHA fats that are found in seafood. DHA is the one that is associated with the main health benefits from omega-3, so eating more seeds is pretty pointless if that's what you're after.

Paying more (for already expensive) beef when the only benefit is slightly more omega-3 which you can get much cheaper and healthier from other sources seems inefficient and a waster of money. Just eat regular meat (or preferably no beef at all) and more fish.

Fish is some of the least sustainable stuff the way it’s currently managed. Fish farming has huge issues, and many of the wild fisheries are collapsing because the ocean can’t keep up with demand.

Beef, properly raised with intensively managed grazing, builds topsoil at a rate 10-100x what unmanaged climax ecosystems do. Look at the work of folks like Joel Salatin, Allan Savory, Ben Falk, etc. Contrary to what’s claimed by folks who don’t understand good agricultural practices, pulsing herbivores sequester a ton of carbon.

An animal that can be raised birth to finish 100% on perennial forage is the most sustainable, not the least. Environmental studies that demonize cows have numerous flaws that really frustrate me and others who study regenerative forms of agriculture. Just about any regenerative model of agriculture involves a ruminant on perennial pasture as part of the diversified ecological model. Sheep and goats are good as well. Rabbits can be fed 100% on perennial forage but it’s much more labor intensive. Pork can fatten 100% on forage but not on any commercially profitable timescale. Meat chickens can’t either.

On taste, that’s somewhat personal preference, I’ve certainly heard folks having bad grass-finished beef experience. Sometimes that’s because the carcasses are chilled too fast (they cool down faster than fattier corn finished cows. Sometimes it’s because the rancher has bad management. Sometimes it’s bad genetics. Sometimes it’s because they were slaughtered at a time when they were on hay only rather than on fresh pasture. I’ve never personally had a cut that “tasted like ass”.

@HarbingerofBunnies knows exactly what he's talking about! Livestock managed intensively on perennial pastures of legumes and grass can actually sequester more carbon from the atmosphere than a forest full of trees. Rather than tilling up land to plant soybeans and corn to feed to cows and other herbivores, which makes them and their meat less healthy, causes soil erosion and contributes to global climate change, we all need to start supporting farmers who are using management intensive grazing to improve their land by building up the topsoil, rather than supporting farmers who are doing the equivalent of strip mining their properties by overgrazing them.

I'd be interested to read about how that works in terms of the mass balance (seriously, not a criticism).

[Turnbull]

We've never bought any beef, but I very cheaply get clover and acorn fed venison with my .30-06.

[chouchouu]

Canola is probably the cheapest form of omega 3s.

[Shane]

I'd be interested to read about how that works in terms of the mass balance (seriously, not a criticism).

@Case , pretty sure sunlight, photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation by legumes are what add mass to the pasture. Pastures are like big solar panels collecting energy from the sun. Through photosynthesis, growing plants turn the sun's energy into organic matter. Farmers practicing management intensive grazing vary the timing between the grazing of pastures to optimize the growth of the plants. When herbivores graze off the tops of growing plants, an equal amount of roots die back underground. As these roots begin to decay, they become a food source for soil bacteria and microorganisms. Legumes also add mass to a pasture by taking nitrogen out of the atmosphere and "fixing" it in the soil with the help of special soil bacteria called rhizobia.

Does that answer you question? If not, maybe @HarbingerofBunnies can give a better explanation...

[Thegoblinchief]

I'd be interested to read about how that works in terms of the mass balance (seriously, not a criticism).

@Case , pretty sure sunlight, photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation by legumes are what add mass to the pasture. Pastures are like big solar panels collecting energy from the sun. Through photosynthesis, growing plants turn the sun's energy into organic matter. Farmers practicing management intensive grazing vary the timing between the grazing of pastures to optimize the growth of the plants. When herbivores graze off the tops of growing plants, an equal amount of roots die back underground. As these roots begin to decay, they become a food source for soil bacteria and microorganisms. Legumes also add mass to a pasture by taking nitrogen out of the atmosphere and "fixing" it in the soil with the help of special soil bacteria called rhizobia.

Does that answer you question? If not, maybe @HarbingerofBunnies can give a better explanation...

I am unclear what @Case means by mass balance. @Shane explains why grasslands are so powerful correctly with a small exception: it’s the grasses that do the soil building primarily because of how much sugar they pump into the soil to feed microbes, whereas the legumes exist to help feed the grass. But legumes do have very thick root systems as well. My favorite description of grass was by Darren Doughtery (a very skilled Australian land designer) who once said “grasses are polysaccharide superhighways”.

The massive topsoil in places like Iowa was built by the pulsing of herbivores over the prairies. Of course, nowadays it’s eroding like crazy. We lose, it’s estimated, 2-3 bushels of topsoil for every bushel of corn. On farms that are returning their land to perennial grassland and managing them with intense livestock management (the best is multi species, with ruminants followed by birds and even other animals like pigs) they are frequently building top soil at a rate of 1-3 inches a year, versus 1 inch a CENTURY in most forest systems. When you do the math on the amount of carbon represented in that organic matter when calculated in acre-inches, it’s astonishing. Plus, there’s a host of bio-diversity advantages, cleaner water through better hydrological cycles, so many things that are difficult to measure with reductive scientific experiments.

I forgot to mention Richard Perkins as another great regenerative agriculture mind. His YouTube channel is really cool to follow as his farm has evolved over time.

[Raenia]

I can't speak to the Beef question, since I don't eat it, but I just wanted to pop in and recommend The Small-Scale Poultry Flock by Harvey Ussery for its in-depth discussion of using livestock to build soil fertility.  His focus is mainly on chickens, but he also discusses alternating chickens after ruminants (cows, sheep, goats), or in conjunction with rabbits.  The chickens scratching helps the manure break down faster.

@HarbingerofBunnies You changed your avatar!  I'll miss the old one :)

[Thegoblinchief]

I can't speak to the Beef question, since I don't eat it, but I just wanted to pop in and recommend The Small-Scale Poultry Flock by Harvey Ussery for its in-depth discussion of using livestock to build soil fertility.  His focus is mainly on chickens, but he also discusses alternating chickens after ruminants (cows, sheep, goats), or in conjunction with rabbits.  The chickens scratching helps the manure break down faster.

Yeah, chickens can be quite powerful, Richard Perkins talks about it all the time. Though of course since they rely on grains, they're overall less sustainable than ruminants, but because they help sanitize parasites behind grazers they perform a very important role in a grass system. Plus eggs in particular are such a well-balanced protein source, and when coming from a pasture system they're phenomenal. Heck, even my own chickens, that just get food scraps, wasted hay, and whatever else they scavenge under my rabbits in addition to their grain ration (we don't have any grass left on my little urban homestead) have great eggs.

I've had a number of people recommend that Ussery book recently but I can't remember if I've ever read it. Requested it from my library. The cover seems familiar, but it may have been one I checked out but then didn't get to before I had to return it.

You changed your avatar!  I'll miss the old one :)

When I saw the illustration of myself in monstermonster's upcoming book I had to use it. Under my old screen name thegoblinchief I almost always had a real picture of myself on my profile. But I do love that rabbit yawning picture too.

[Case]

I'd be interested to read about how that works in terms of the mass balance (seriously, not a criticism).

@Case , pretty sure sunlight, photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation by legumes are what add mass to the pasture. Pastures are like big solar panels collecting energy from the sun. Through photosynthesis, growing plants turn the sun's energy into organic matter. Farmers practicing management intensive grazing vary the timing between the grazing of pastures to optimize the growth of the plants. When herbivores graze off the tops of growing plants, an equal amount of roots die back underground. As these roots begin to decay, they become a food source for soil bacteria and microorganisms. Legumes also add mass to a pasture by taking nitrogen out of the atmosphere and "fixing" it in the soil with the help of special soil bacteria called rhizobia.

Does that answer you question? If not, maybe @HarbingerofBunnies can give a better explanation...

I am unclear what @Case means by mass balance. @Shane explains why grasslands are so powerful correctly with a small exception: it’s the grasses that do the soil building primarily because of how much sugar they pump into the soil to feed microbes, whereas the legumes exist to help feed the grass. But legumes do have very thick root systems as well. My favorite description of grass was by Darren Doughtery (a very skilled Australian land designer) who once said “grasses are polysaccharide superhighways”.

The massive topsoil in places like Iowa was built by the pulsing of herbivores over the prairies. Of course, nowadays it’s eroding like crazy. We lose, it’s estimated, 2-3 bushels of topsoil for every bushel of corn. On farms that are returning their land to perennial grassland and managing them with intense livestock management (the best is multi species, with ruminants followed by birds and even other animals like pigs) they are frequently building top soil at a rate of 1-3 inches a year, versus 1 inch a CENTURY in most forest systems. When you do the math on the amount of carbon represented in that organic matter when calculated in acre-inches, it’s astonishing. Plus, there’s a host of bio-diversity advantages, cleaner water through better hydrological cycles, so many things that are difficult to measure with reductive scientific experiments.

I forgot to mention Richard Perkins as another great regenerative agriculture mind. His YouTube channel is really cool to follow as his farm has evolved over time.

What I mean is, I'd like to see the math behind that, or a summation of the general concepts or research (a little more than discussed so far) that underline why this sort of farming is sustainable.  In other words, a more thorough explanation of why the other theories one (on why it isn't sustainable to do large scale grass fed beef) are wrong and this one is right.
I understand nitrogen fixation and the like.  What I'm more interested is the data.

The other aspect I'm interested in is the methane component (e.g. environmental impacts of grass fed vs grain, pasture vs farm vs factory, etc...).

I can always google/etc these things myself, but since you/others seem to have some expertise in the area, figured I might tap into that.

Just to note, I'm genuinely interested and not trying to mock with the post.

[Thegoblinchief]

I don’t have fast links to scientific studies that I’ve read. The closest would probably be Eric Toensmeier’s book The Carbon Farming Solution. Pretty dense book, and I think it’s flawed because he priorities carbon sequestration above all things, rather than looking at other hugely important factors like biodiversity, etc.

Allan Savory would probably be another place to look, but there’s a lot of scientific back and forth over his claims.

Doing a quick Google search for “carbon sequestration in intensively managed grazing” pops up a bunch of papers. I personally hate reading formal scientific papers, so I haven’t read any of them. I’ve seen the massive ecological benefits of managed grazing show up in farm after farm I’ve researched that I personally don’t need additional scientific proof to be a huge fan. Some of these farms have participated in scientific research, but I haven’t gone out and read the resulting papers.

[Case]

I don’t have fast links to scientific studies that I’ve read. The closest would probably be Eric Toensmeier’s book The Carbon Farming Solution. Pretty dense book, and I think it’s flawed because he priorities carbon sequestration above all things, rather than looking at other hugely important factors like biodiversity, etc.

Allan Savory would probably be another place to look, but there’s a lot of scientific back and forth over his claims.

Doing a quick Google search for “carbon sequestration in intensively managed grazing” pops up a bunch of papers. I personally hate reading formal scientific papers, so I haven’t read any of them. I’ve seen the massive ecological benefits of managed grazing show up in farm after farm I’ve researched that I personally don’t need additional scientific proof to be a huge fan. Some of these farms have participated in scientific research, but I haven’t gone out and read the resulting papers.

Ok, so I'm not implying that you are saying all of the above, but I sort of got the impression that some people in this thread were alluding to this.  My interest is in this particular direction, not so much on the ethics how to treat cows, etc...  I'm also trying to better mean what I meant by mass balance and why.  Therefore, I'm putting this out there:

In order to come to conclusions like "society in general should switch to grass fed, open pasture, Salatin-style, etc... at industrial scale (e.g. the majority of the production of beef/etc...), and therefore consumption of beef (when done in this particular responsible way) is 'ok' for the planet", we absolutely MUST rely on scientific data (many, many studies with lots of debate and eventual conclusion reached) and not just people's personal experience on their own farms (which probably don't directly address the important large scale questions).  The implication that it is generally 'ok' for people to keep on eating beef at the rate they currently are (as a society) may or may not be sustainable, and I have not yet seen data to strongly support that switching to the Salatin-style (or whatever it is called) is going to enable meat eating in its current rates.  This is the sort of mass balance I'm interested in learning about, though I'm not saying you are obligated to provide that, I'm just genuinely interested.

My impression is that it's not just the CO2 output from cows that is bad, but the methane release as well.  Generally speaking, animals as a food source I thought are less carbon efficient than plants... and I thought the difference was significant.  Maybe this Salatin-style farm management allows chickens/pigs/rabbits to pick through the cow shit so that it emits less CH4?  Maybe grass fed is better because it produces less methane (bacteria like sugars found in grains which contributes to CH4?)?  I am not an expert here... I would like to read into this a bit more, but I wont have sufficient time availability to dig in deep for a couples months... if I do this I will check back in.

I think we need to question the assertions made my a lot of these Netflix-documentary inspired revolutions.  They sound nice to the soft-hearted who want to hear that their cows/pigs/rabbits lived happy lives before they were murdered for consumption.  You aren't making this argument, and I'm not trying to make a straw-man argument, just pointing out that a lot of the momentum behind the Salatin movement is based on emotions and not hard facts.  The ethics are complicated; I personally think Polyface Farms sounds nice, though I speculate also that society should eat less meat at least from an environmental perspective.  And from a health perspective, this would almost certainly be good as well.  And the two are connected, because resources directed towards problems caused by one could go elsewhere.

[Raenia]

I don’t have fast links to scientific studies that I’ve read. The closest would probably be Eric Toensmeier’s book The Carbon Farming Solution. Pretty dense book, and I think it’s flawed because he priorities carbon sequestration above all things, rather than looking at other hugely important factors like biodiversity, etc.

Allan Savory would probably be another place to look, but there’s a lot of scientific back and forth over his claims.

Doing a quick Google search for “carbon sequestration in intensively managed grazing” pops up a bunch of papers. I personally hate reading formal scientific papers, so I haven’t read any of them. I’ve seen the massive ecological benefits of managed grazing show up in farm after farm I’ve researched that I personally don’t need additional scientific proof to be a huge fan. Some of these farms have participated in scientific research, but I haven’t gone out and read the resulting papers.

Ok, so I'm not implying that you are saying all of the above, but I sort of got the impression that some people in this thread were alluding to this.  My interest is in this particular direction, not so much on the ethics how to treat cows, etc...  I'm also trying to better mean what I meant by mass balance and why.  Therefore, I'm putting this out there:

In order to come to conclusions like "society in general should switch to grass fed, open pasture, Salatin-style, etc... at industrial scale (e.g. the majority of the production of beef/etc...), and therefore consumption of beef (when done in this particular responsible way) is 'ok' for the planet", we absolutely MUST rely on scientific data (many, many studies with lots of debate and eventual conclusion reached) and not just people's personal experience on their own farms (which probably don't directly address the important large scale questions).  The implication that it is generally 'ok' for people to keep on eating beef at the rate they currently are (as a society) may or may not be sustainable, and I have not yet seen data to strongly support that switching to the Salatin-style (or whatever it is called) is going to enable meat eating in its current rates.  This is the sort of mass balance I'm interested in learning about, though I'm not saying you are obligated to provide that, I'm just genuinely interested.

My impression is that it's not just the CO2 output from cows that is bad, but the methane release as well.  Generally speaking, animals as a food source I thought are less carbon efficient than plants... and I thought the difference was significant.  Maybe this Salatin-style farm management allows chickens/pigs/rabbits to pick through the cow shit so that it emits less CH4?  Maybe grass fed is better because it produces less methane (bacteria like sugars found in grains which contributes to CH4?)?  I am not an expert here... I would like to read into this a bit more, but I wont have sufficient time availability to dig in deep for a couples months... if I do this I will check back in.

I think we need to question the assertions made my a lot of these Netflix-documentary inspired revolutions.  They sound nice to the soft-hearted who want to hear that their cows/pigs/rabbits lived happy lives before they were murdered for consumption.  You aren't making this argument, and I'm not trying to make a straw-man argument, just pointing out that a lot of the momentum behind the Salatin movement is based on emotions and not hard facts.  The ethics are complicated; I personally think Polyface Farms sounds nice, though I speculate also that society should eat less meat at least from an environmental perspective.  And from a health perspective, this would almost certainly be good as well.  And the two are connected, because resources directed towards problems caused by one could go elsewhere.

I don´t have the study handy, but I remember reading about a study that found a particular kind of seaweed, when fed to cows along with their feed, resulted in something like a 75% reduction in methane production per cow.  Is this the sort of thing you are looking for?  Lemme see if I can find a link, and make sure my memory was accurate.

ETA: Ok, it was in vitro, not yet tested in vivo (as of 2016, so I expect they´re still in progress), and they acknowledge some difficulties in sourcing the seaweed, but it seems like a good start: https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/43225/

[Shane]

I think we need to question the assertions made my a lot of these Netflix-documentary inspired revolutions.  They sound nice to the soft-hearted who want to hear that their cows/pigs/rabbits lived happy lives before they were murdered for consumption.  You aren't making this argument, and I'm not trying to make a straw-man argument, just pointing out that a lot of the momentum behind the Salatin movement is based on emotions and not hard facts.  The ethics are complicated; I personally think Polyface Farms sounds nice, though I speculate also that society should eat less meat at least from an environmental perspective.  And from a health perspective, this would almost certainly be good as well.  And the two are connected, because resources directed towards problems caused by one could go elsewhere.

Agreed that Americans would be better off eating less meat.

[swampwiz]

I'd like to try incorporating grass-fed beef and other such meats into my diet. The only problem is they're outrageously expensive at the grocery store. What's the cheapest way to get grass-fed beef?

I don't see what the big deal is.  I once bought a grass-fed steak from Wal-Mart, and it was quite underwhelming, so I stick with the USDA Choice corn-fed New York Strip from there.

[Thegoblinchief]

FWIW my reading hasn’t been local, not sure how you got that. While my primary interest is in cold-temperate climates because that’s where I live currently and will likely stay, a lot of the work I’ve read covers much of the globe. Allan Savory has done most of his work in sub-Saharan Africa. Darren Doughtery has done stuff all over the world, ditto Geoff Lawton - everything from deserts to the tropics. Properly managed herbivore impact heals the planet via disturbance and rest cycles far better than any other land management technique.

There’s more than just grazing animals involved, of course, especially when looking at arid climates where earthworks are often used to capture and inflitrate the limited rainfall but Darren Doughtery says that grass is the fastest healer of land out there because of how that pulsing action works.

Maybe I’m not scientific about it, but there’s an undeniable pattern language at work.

[Case]

Why? Is it proven to be any heather? (at least as much as red meat can be called healthy)

I don't know, but I'm curious. Since you're pursuing this I assume you've looked into the befits vs costs?

Beef that’s 100% raised and finished on pasture has higher omega-3 than cattle finished on grain. It is their natural diet. If the grazing is properly managed, it’s also very good for the environment. The pulsing action of rotating livestock through small paddocks simulated the way bison moved across the prairies. Good grass farmers can build topsoil (thus sequestering carbon) very quickly, often more than 100x faster than the unmanaged climax ecosystem of their bio region. Poorly managed pasture is still better than beef kept on a feedlot, but can end up with erosion and nutrient leaching because the manure builds up too much in one area.

To the OP, like what others said, search out good farmers you can buy direct from. The best price is usually “bulk”. Some farmers will do both bulk and retail sales, but the inspection requirements for the processor are different so many farmers will only do bulk orders. I buy from a friend that runs about 50 head Joel Salatin style (small paddocks, moved every 1-2 days). His prices aren’t much more than conventional beef at the store. Because he does retail cuts and we mainly eat ground beef and cheaper cuts like chuck roasts, sirloin, etc I’m fine buying retail but we are saving slowly for a 1/2 to get some of the nicer cuts cheaply.

There are more omega 3s, but I don't think there is hard evidence that it's healthier.  For one, although there are more omega 3s, I'm not certain that the levels get high enough to make a big impact on overall diet.  In addition, I'd be curious how high the omega 3 levels remain after cooking; keep in mind that omega 3s i think are the most prone to oxidation.

If you want to get more omega 3s (and I'm not certain whether there is a strong scientific consensus to their health benefits), eat more chia or flax seeds (latter need to be ground).  And if you want to be healthier in general, than probably lower the consumption overall of red meat, processed meat, and fatty meat.

I don't quite see the point of going after grass-fed beef for omega-3 either. Just eating more fish seems like a better option?. It's overall healthier anyway, and also more environmentally friendly as well. Raising cows to eat, who roam around massive grasslands is absurdly costly and in no way sustainable if the whole planet would eat like that. Not to mention the huge water use and methane emissions. Calling any form of beef "good for the environment" is pretty absurd. Thankfully most of the world get their protein from fish (I know OP did list this as a reason so perhaps not applicable, but maybe for others).

Flax and chia seeds have the ALA and EPA oemga-3 fats, but lack the DHA fats that are found in seafood. DHA is the one that is associated with the main health benefits from omega-3, so eating more seeds is pretty pointless if that's what you're after.

Paying more (for already expensive) beef when the only benefit is slightly more omega-3 which you can get much cheaper and healthier from other sources seems inefficient and a waster of money. Just eat regular meat (or preferably no beef at all) and more fish.

So at first i took your word on it that DHA did no good, but i came across this:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fish-oil-friend-or-foe-201307126467

I tend to trust these Harvard medical reviews.  I also seperately came across some sources indicating that ALA can be converted to the other two, but that the extent it occured is controversial.  So maybe a little supprt to the idea of supplementing with flax seeds.

Of course, the same link I provided states that these supplements are likely not a substitute for the full benefits of eating fish.  And like any good source, it acknowledges the large dearth of knowledge and certainty in these fields of research.

I default back to my preferred diet which is the only one that is always agreed upon despite the fads of each decade: high on vegetables.

[rocketpj]

Well, I know very little of this topic, but I've really enjoyed reading the discussion.

My parents for many years had a small farm with about 100 sheep that ate almost 100% grass, with the caveat that the winter hay (which came from the pasture and included alfalfa) was sometimes supplemented with oats and legumes my dad traded for with some of the neighbours (e.g. some meat in exchange for some feed, and one neighbour leased about 20 acres to grow feed on our land and gave us a bunch).  I can say with absolute certainty that the lamb meat from that farm far surpassed any of the overpriced stuff I have found in the store.

Unfortunately, where I live 'grass fed' and 'local' have become interchangeable with status signalling, which means it costs a fortune.  With the two legged eating machines that are my two teens, I cannot afford to buy it on any kind of a regular bases, no matter how good it is. 

[MishMash]

You may want to befriend a hunter.  Properly handled venison is healthier, and honestly, if it's done right, you will never know it's deer.  No one we feed it to has ever thought it was anything BUT grass-fed beef.