Bit of Earth Farm

Grass-fed, Naturally Pastured Beef

 

We raise a very limited number of cattle. Each calf is lovingly tended with full access to sunshine, grass and shelter.

 None of our animals ever endures typical factory farming techniques.

*They are not sprayed with pesticides. Instead we keep the barnyard as clean as possible and occasionally spritz their hides with a homemade spray of water and essential oils.

*The calves have mother’s milk, never milk replacer. Milk replacer is an unnatural substance, with ingredients such as blood meal, fish meal, soy and medications.

*Our cattle also dine on grass and hay (dried grasses). It’s a dirty secret that many conventionally raised cattle are literally fed garbage---cardboard, rotted candy, ground chicken feathers and worse. Not our steers.  Nature’s perfect system allows pastured ruminants to transform grasses (indigestible to people) into highly nutritious diets. Feeding these animals corn, soy and non-food items to fatten them more quickly is counterproductive both for the animal’s health and environment.

*Our steers are not “finished” on grain nor do they suffer the trauma of a stockyard.



Learn how pastured grazing benefits animals 

Learn how pastured grazing benefits the environment



Currently we have no beef available. We will post when beef can be ordered.

 

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Benefits of Grass-fed Beef

 ~Meat from grass-fed, pastured animals is distinctly different from feedlot-raised animals. This beef will be tender, as our steers nurse on mother’s milk for many months. Because they are usually dairy breeds the meat will be leaner than most beef you can purchase. Any visible fat may have a faint orange tinge, which is due to the presence of beta carotene, another indicator of the animal’s high nutrient level.


~It is lower in total fat. A steak from a grass-fed steer has about one-third to one-half as much fat. That’s about the same fat content as a skinless chicken breast. Due to this decreased fat content, this meat is lower in calories. Comparing a six-ounce steak from a grass-fed steer to a grain-fed steer you’ll find 100 fewer calories. If a person on a standard U.S. diet of 66.5 pounds of beef per year changed to grass-fed beef only, they would avoid 17,733 calories per year.

 
~While saving on fat and calories, beef from pastured cattle offers heaping supplies of vitamins A, D, E plus beta-carotene. Grass-fed beef is four times higher in vitamin E than from conventionally raised cattle. Most people are deficient in vitamin E. Low levels of vitamin E are linked to cancer, heart disease, even aging.

 
~Grass-fed meat provides two to six times more omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows that these beneficial fats are vital for health. Yet only about 40 percent of Americans have a sufficient supply of omega-3’s in their diets. About a fifth of all Americans have undetectable levels.  Those with sufficient omega-3’s in their diets are less likely to have high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol levels, irregular heartbeats, even 50% less likely to suffer a heart attack.  Ample omega-3’s also support brain health, providing additional protection from depression, ADHD, even Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, omega-3’s may reduce the risk of cancer.

 
~Grass-fed beef is the richest known source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). This nutrient is thought to be a highly effective anti-cancer agent.A Finnish study found that women with the most CLA in their diets had the lowest incidence of breast cancer. This was corroborated by a French study, showing that women with the most CLA in their tissues has a 74 percent lower risk of cancer than those with the least CLA. The most effective way to increase CLA in one’s body is to consume meat and dairy products from grass-fed animals.