Is Eating Beef Contributing to Global Warming?

There's a good chance you too may have read articles claiming that bovines are responsible for a substantial share of global warming gases. According to the authors, bovines expel copious amounts of methane gas which they claim is 20 times worse than carbon dioxide (actually dairy cows are the greatest offenders due to their carefully crafted diet designed to maximize milk production).

Even the United Nations (UN) is getting in on the fun when Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the chair to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and a vegetarian, suggested that we all skip meat one day a week.  Other groups with the goal of saving the planet want us to go much further... get rid of meat in our diet completely.  Their agenda is pretty clear- we should all become vegans.

Global warming may or not be a real concern to you as it may or may not be human caused.  The science is not all in nor is their universal agreement despite what the vegan lobby wants you to believe.  It really is all quite complex and there is much yet to learn.

I have to admit that I have my biases on this entire subject. I like to eat beef because I enjoy the taste, the health benefits, and even the aroma.  Meat eating has been an important and essential part of the human diet from the beginning and a source of great human enjoyment.  Beef and other meats are a great source of critical nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.  Take these contributions away from the average persons diet and you now know why most people who go vegetarian eventually give it up.

As is so often the case, those with an agenda to change the behavior of others often become blind by their cause.  To claim that bovines are responsible for global warming by the nature of the gases they produce ignores significant historical facts. Before them and global warming, millions upon millions of bison ranged the great plains of the midwest and west providing many useful functions and gas emissions.  Buffalo chips grew hard on the soil and became heating and cooking fuel for the early settlers.  Indians would go on great buffalo hunting trips and return to great fanfare so all could enjoy the feast.

Let us not fear following in history's wisdom. Enjoy the feast!

Rules Governing the Purchase of Beef Directly From the Farmer

The USDA regulates our food supply and generally do a pretty good job of it.  It has placed some rules and regulations on those of us who desire to sell directly to the public.

The USDA says I can sell my beef directly to you with the following provisions; You have to purchase the animal, or a percentage of the animal while the animal is still alive.  I cannot legally sell you our beef that has already been processed and sitting in a freezer.  This regulation allows you to do your due diligence by allowing you to physically see the animal before it is processed. If you're satisfied with your assessment, then the USDA is happy letting you decide to purchase it.

Unfortunately, this regulation is often disregarded by those who raise a few beef animals for sale to friends and neighbors.  Sometimes you'll see an advertisement advertising 'locker' beef available for pickup.  Now there is more than one reason to be careful with this arrangement.  Frankly, I wouldn't trust the beef of someone who is willing to disregard the rules so easily.

How do you protect yourself?  Because it's against the law, it's best not to purchase this beef at any price.  And if someone is willing to disregard the law, they likely are also willing to be less than honest when representing their product.

But He Claimed it was Grass Fed?

It is easy to make claims. Go to the grocery store and on nearly every food package is a claim. "Lower Fat," "No Cholesterol," and on and on.  In fact, our website makes a number of claims as well. Grass-fed beef is lower in this and higher in that. So just what can you believe?

Today, one has to be extremely careful... particularly when it comes to the food you eat.  What is claimed can not be relied upon making your own research more and more important.  Which is why I encourage anyone interested in the benefits of grass-fed beef to do your own research.  With the Internet today and search engines like Google and Microsoft's Live services, there is little excuse to not making a study of things that are most important to you.

If you've done your research and have become convinced of the benefits of grass-fed beef, you are still not out of the consumer minefield. You now must decide how best to obtain grass-fed beef.  Now I know you didn't visit this website to be lectured on where to find the best grass-fed beef but since you're here, I would like to offer the following suggestions;

1. Beware of classified advertisements for 'locker beef' that is 'grass-fed.' If the beef is already in the freezer, the owner is not legally able to sell you the beef.  Additionally, you no longer have the right to see the animals in its environment and make your own judgement as to the merits of the purchase.

2. There are many small part time farmers that raise a couple of steers because they have a few acres and they enjoy the beef in the freezer every fall. You may hear of someone with an extra steer for sale and if you'd like to buy a part of it.  This may all be very legitimate... but again, be careful.  Ask to see the animal before it is processed. Know what breed the animal is, who will do the processing, and will the animal be dry-aged no less than 14 days.

3. Some individuals buy some breeds of beef animals because they are cheap to purchase. For example, more male Holsteins are born than will ever be needed for breeding so most are turned into steers and raised for beef. Some will tell you that Holsteins make excellent beef and when finished with grain, they may very well be right.  But those in the beef industry will tell you that the best breed to finish on grass only is the Angus.  Angus are known for beef tenderness and there ability to 'marble' up on grass. Marbling is an important characteristic if you wish beef that is tender.