News about Pasture-Based Farming

Local Cattle Farmers vs. the Consolidated Cattle Industry

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have invited U.S. cattle producers and other Rural Americans to meet with them for a one-day workshop at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 27, 2010.

This is a joint Department of Justice/USDA workshop designed to explore competition issues affecting the beef, hog and other animal sectors in the 21st century and the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement in that industry. Likely issues for discussion are concentration in livestock markets, buyer power and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act. The workshop will be transcribed and placed on the public record along with submissions and written comments received. Learn more...

Take care of your heart! Eat whole milk dairy products from grass-fed cows. 

For decades, we’ve been told that eating full-fat dairy products increases the risk of heart attack. Now, a study from the Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that the more full-fat dairy products people consume, the lower their risk of heart attack—provided the cows were grass-fed.  

The reason grass-fed milk is protective is that it has up to five times more conjugated linoleic acid or CLA. CLA is a healthy fat found in the meat and milk of grazing animals. People who eat grass-fed dairy products absorb the CLA and store it in their tissues. In this new study of over 3,500 people, those with the highest levels of CLA in their tissues had a fifty percent lower risk of heart attack than those with the lowest levels. Keeping Bossy on grass could prevent more heart attacks than putting people on expensive pharmaceutical drugs with all their troubling side effects. 

Smit, Liesbeth A, Ana Baylin, and Hannia Campos. 2010. Conjugated linoleic acid in adipose tissue and risk of myocardial infarction. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  Published ahead of print, May 12, 2010.

New term you need to know: “by-product feedstuffs”

Fresh pasture and dried grasses are the natural diet of all ruminant animals. In factory farms, animals are switched to an unnatural diet based on corn and soy. But corn and soy are not the only ingredients in their “balanced rations.” Many large-scale dairy farmers and feedlot operators save money by feeding the cows “by-product feedstuffs” as well. In general, this means waste products from the manufacture of human food. In particular, it can mean sterilized city garbage, candy, bubble gum, floor sweepings from plants that manufacture animal food, bakery, potato wastes or a scientific blend of pasta and candy.  

Here are some of the “by-product feedstuffs commonly used in dairy cattle diets in the Upper Midwest.”*

• Candy. Candy products are available through a number of distributors and sometimes directly from smaller plants… They are sometimes fed in their wrappers…. Candies, such as cull gummy bears, lemon drops or gum drops are high in sugar content.
• Bakery Wastes. Stale bread and other pastry products from stores or bakeries can be fed to dairy cattle in limited amounts. These products are sometimes fed as received without drying or even removal of the wrappers.
• Potato Waste is available in potato processing areas, and includes cull potatoes, French fries and potato chips. Cull fresh potatoes that are not frozen, rotten, or sprouted can be fed to cows either whole or chopped. Potato waste straight from a processing plant may contain varying amounts of inedible or rotten potatoes. French fries and chips contain fats or oils from frying operations.
• Starch. Unheated starch is available from some candy manufacturers and sometimes may contain pieces of candy.
• Pasta is available from pasta plants and some ingredient distributors as straight pasta or in blends with other ingredients, such as candy.

*This list is excerpted from “By-Product Feedstuffs in Dairy Cattle Diets in the Upper Midwest,” published in 2008 by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. 

Can meat packers be trusted to police their own industry?

No, judging by the February 15th, 2010 recall of 4.9 million pounds of meat from the Huntington Meat Packing company in Montebello, California. The meat was recalled by the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in an ongoing criminal investigation of the plant. The FSIS made the following remarks:

“The products are adulterated because the company made the products under insanitary conditions failing to take the steps it had determined were necessary to produce safe products.”

So much for self-regulation. Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, a food safety advocate, told the press that "This is a company that failed to follow the food safety plan that it developed and may have knowingly produced meat products under unsanitary conditions. Those products were then sold for consumption over a period of 347 days. This is unacceptable, and we should not allow companies to operate under this kind of regulatory regime."

But this recall raises another question: Can the FSIS be trusted to ride herd on the beef packers? According to the FSIS, the insanitary conditions had been in existence for more than a year. Why was it so slow in identifying the problem and issuing a recall?

Let them eat grass-fed hamburgers!

That’s the opinion of Alice Waters, the founder of Chez Panisse, the celebrated Berkeley, California restaurant, and a leading advocate of the Slow Food Movement. In the February 4, 2010 online edition of the Wall Street Journal, she explains her reasoning:

“I think the bottom line is that if you want to get people to eat grass-fed beef, we need to make hamburgers because it makes people think about the other hamburgers they’re eating. ...You have to begin where they are.” 

Waters, one of the driving forces behind the “eat local” movement, does not like the idea of food chains of any kind. We, however, can envision a nationwide chain of quick-serve restaurants that feature grass-fed hamburger on whole grain buns topped with slices of fresh tomatoes (in season). Yum.

For more information about what’s in those “other hamburgers,” see news bulletin below, “Do you want ammonia with that?”

Grass-fed beef: the better burger

Forget the environmental benefits of raising animals on pasture. Overlook the nutrient value. Disregard the importance of supporting local farmers. Let’s cut to the chase: How does grass-fed beef taste??

Great, according to “The Burger Lab,” a site devoted to the virtues of hamburger sandwiches. In a blind taste test of  hamburger meat from 1) a local supermarket, 2) an organic grass-fed producer, and 3) a producer of  Premium Angus grain-fed beef, the overall winner was the hamburger from grass-fed cows. It was judged to be “the beefiest” burger of the lot. Read more about the test.

Life on the pharm

People who are exposed to farm chemicals have a much greater rate of Parkinson’s Disease, according to recent studies. Whether they are farm workers who are applying the chemicals or people who happen to live nearby, exposure to chemicals such as paraquat or the fungicide “maneb”  increases the risk of Parkinsonism by 75 percent. There is no cure for this progressive disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement, mood, and behavior.

Buying food that’s pesticide-free is good for you and for people in farming communities. 
                
(Beate Ritz, et al. 2009.  Parkinson’s Disease Residential Exposure to Maneb and Paraquat from Agricultural Applications in the Central Valley of California. American Journal of Epidemiology. 169 (8): 919)  

Thank you, Oprah!

On January 27th, 2010, the Oprah Show featured Michael Pollan, author and food guru. Pollan introduced his new book, Food Rules and talked about the importance of eating whole foods, avoiding highly processed food, and choosing meat, dairy and eggs from animals raised on pasture.

In an act of courage, Oprah also showed segments of the food-industry-busting documentary Food, Inc, ( http://www.foodincmovie.com/) and recommended that all her viewers see it.

We commend Oprah for making her opinions known. Fourteen years ago, she was sued by Texas Cattle producers for remarks she made during an on-air debate between a representative of the beef industry and Howard Lyman, an outspoken vegetarian. After Lyman’s gory description of how animals are treated in a feedlot, Oprah turned to the camera and said, “I’ve been stopped cold from eating another burger!” Her playful, spur of the moment comment sparked a six-week trial that cost millions of dollars. Oprah prevailed. As she left the courthouse, she pumped her fist in the air and said “My reaction is that free speech not only lives, it rocks!”                

Oprah, we think you “rock” as well!  Watching Food, Inc. will give your viewers the information they need to make food choices that are better for their health, the environment, and local farmers. Rock on.

Horizon Organic Dairy in Paul, Idaho

The cows may eat organically certified food, but, in our view, there’s nothing natural about this operation. How many people would buy Horizon organic milk if this satellite view appeared on their milk cartons? 

When your organic milk comes from cows raised on pasture, you are supporting animal welfare, the environment, and getting the most nutritious milk of all. Search for pasture-based dairies on eatwild.com.

Eat less feedlot meat

A growing number of people believe that eating less meat is good for the environment. This is true when it comes to eating meat from animals raised in feedlots. But eating meat from well-managed grazing animals is a net benefit to the planet. 

A paper released by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture makes the following points:  

• Grazing animals eat plants that cannot be digested by humans.
• Meat from grass-fed animals requires only one calorie of fossil fuel to produce two calories of food. Many grain and vegetable crops require from 5 to 10 calories of fossil-fuel for every calorie of food or fiber produced. 
• Well-managed pasture absorbs far more rain water than most other land uses.
• Grazed lands help slow global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the air. Grazing land in the Great Plains contain over 40 tons of carbon per acre. Cultivated soils contain about 26 tons.
• Well-managed grazing lands provide much-needed habit for wildlife, reduce water runoff, and provide cleaner, more abundant water for wildlife and human use.
• Grazing lands are among our most picturesque landscapes.

Read more: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/rca/ib6text.html

Do you want ammonia with that?

Ring in the new decade with yet another disturbing story about commercial hamburger. A New York Times expose, published on December 30, 2009, revealed that Beef Products, Inc (BPI), a South Dakota meat processor, has been injecting ammonia into “fatty slaughterhouse trimmings” to kill bacteria and render it safe for human consumption.

The USDA has approved this novel process. Indeed, studies conducted by BPI showed the product to be so effective that the government agency exempted BPI products from routine testing. In another bow to the company, the USDA agreed with BPI that the word “ammonia” need not appear on ingredient labels. Instead, it can be described as a generic “processing agent.” 

Why does this matter to you? If you eat commercial hamburger, the chances are very good that you’ve eaten ammoniated beef. BPI claims that its processed scraps are used in a majority of the hamburger sold in the United States. Even our kids have been treated to the meat. According to the Times, “The federal school lunch program used an estimated 5.5 million pounds of the processed beef last year alone,” saving an estimated $1 million a year.

There are a number of problems using ammonia to sanitize beef, beginning with the obvious “ugh, yuck” factor; the very idea of sterilizing meat with ammonia is revolting to many. Then there’s the odor. Even though the BPI meat is mixed with untreated meat which dilutes the smell, some consumers have still complained of a gaseous odor. The Times reports that meat buyers for Georgia State prisons rejected 7,000 pounds of the stuff because it had “a very strong odor of ammonia.”
This “odor problem” could explain why some batches of BPI meat have been treated with lesser amounts of ammonia—significantly, not enough to kill the harmful bacteria! Consumers get a product that has a more acceptable odor and flavor, but it’s not safe to eat! Last year, more than 53,000 pounds of BPI meat designated for school lunch programs tested positive for either E. coli or salmonella.

Several USDA microbiologists, including Gerald Zirnstein, have been critical of the USDA’s approval of ammoniated beef. In a 2002 email message obtained by the Times, Zirnstein described the BPI beef product as “pink slime” and said, “I do not consider the stuff to be ground beef, and I consider allowing it in ground beef to be a form of fraudulent labeling.” We at Eatwild concur and suggest that you buy your next pound of hamburger from a local, pasture-based rancher. http://www.eatwild.com/products/

The entire New York Times investigation is worth reading. (Safety of Beef Processing Method is Questioned” by Michael Moss.) Find it online at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html  

Midget White heritage turkey beats out the Butterball

On November 2nd, Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Virginia, announced the winners of its 2nd annual “Timeless Turkey” blind tasting test. The test pitted eight heritage breeds against the industry standard, the Butterball.

Fifty guests and a panel of judges rendered their judgment. The Midget White was the favorite among the guests, while the panelists preferred the Royal Palm turkey for its “superior depth of flavor in both its white and dark meat.” All the heritage breeds earned high praise, including the Bourbon Red, the Black, the Bronze, the Slate, the Chocolate, and the Narragansett turkey.

The panelists included Anya Fernald, a regular judge on the Food Network’s Iron Chef of America and veteran chef Lisa Brefere, CEO of GigaChef.com. For more information about the test, contact Alice Ryan, Alice@Gita-Group.com.

It’s probably too late to order a heritage turkey for this year’s Thanksgiving but you can make a note to contact a farmer next April, which is when decisions need to be made about how many birds to raise for the coming holiday season. (Find a local turkey farmer by searching the Eatwild Producer’s List.)

Eat wild fish

Are you ready for transgenic salmon and trout? Fish scientists have succeeded in transferring foreign genes into these popular fish. The genetically modified (GM) fish grow bigger and faster than normal fish and are more resistant to disease. Proponents say they will be a boon to the aquaculture industry and will help supplement our dwindling fish supply.

But these super fish also have a greater tolerance for toxins and are likely to accumulate more in their flesh. Ultimately, those toxins will be ingested by humans. The GM fish also have higher levels of growth hormones than natural fish, which is why they grow so quickly. The effect these hormones will have on consumer health is not known.

What’s more, if the fish escape from their sea cages, they are likely to out-compete normal fish due to their greater ability to tolerate food shortages and changes in water temperature. An investigative report commissioned by the European Union concluded that these Super Fish should be grown in inland cages and “treated with great care.” 

At the present time, no country allows the commercial farming of transgenic fish, but several applications for such operations are being considered in the United States and the EU. 

Eating wild fish avoids all the problems associated with GM fish. Choose from those few species that are not on the endangered list. To find out which fish to eat in your area, go to Seafood Watch Pocket Guide (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx) . You can download a printable guide or an application for the iPhone.

Are those eggs really farm fresh?

It seems that all the eggs on the market are guaranteed to be “farm fresh,” whether you’ve paid a dollar a dozen at a discount grocers or five times that much at a farmer’s market. How can you tell if an egg is truly fresh?

The quickest test is to crack an egg into a pan of slowly simmering water. The egg is fresh if the white is thick and clings to the yolk. The egg is old if the white is thin and spreads out into the water. A poached fresh egg presents a very tidy package.

Boiling an egg gives you more clues. Fresh eggs lay flat on the bottom of the pan. Older eggs tend to tilt upward. That’s because air has had time to infiltrate the shell and form an internal bubble. The bubble levitates one end of the egg. The older the egg, the steeper the incline.

Once your boiled eggs are done, peel one of them. The egg is very fresh if it’s difficult to peel and some of the cooked white pulls away with the shell. An older egg peels like a breeze. Fresh eggs make raggedy looking deviled eggs.

Score ten for grass-fed beef

Grass-fed beef is better for human health than grain-fed beef in ten different ways, according to the most comprehensive analysis to date. The 2009 study was a joint effort between the USDA and researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina. Compared with grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef was:

1. Lower in total fat
2. Higher in beta-carotene
3. Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
4. Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
5. Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
6. Higher in total omega-3s
7. A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
8. Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter
9. Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
10. Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

S.K. Duckett et al, Journal of Animal Science, (published online) June 2009, “Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: III. Tissue proximate, fatty acid, vitamin and cholesterol content.”

Hidden benefits for children of grass-based farmers

Most pasture-based farmers wear a lot of hats besides their cowboy hats. In addition to raising their animals, they research animal genetics, manage the pastures, keep the books, manage a farm website, and market their goods to the public at farm stands and community markets. There’s a hidden benefit to assuming this broad array of tasks: their children or grandchildren get to experience and even participate in them, gaining confidence, expertise, and marketable skills in the process.

Eatwild has toured many grass-based farms around the country and have been inspired by the active roles played by children. At one farm, we were given the standard tour of the farm by a confident, 5-year-old girl. We met a twelve-year old who took full responsibility for managing a booth at a farmers market. We’ve met a number of computer savvy teenagers who have designed web pages and spreadsheets for their parents’ enterprises. Many children of grassfarmers also set up their own farm businesses as well, selling eggs, raising chickens and rabbits, and even making hard cheeses from the milk of grass-fed cows.

Today, there are few opportunities for children to participate in the adult work world. Growing up on a grass-based farm gives children the opportunity to master tasks as diverse as leading a herd of goats from one pasture to another and managing the family’s website. 

Mobile slaughter facility offers solutions

On June 3, 2009, the Alaska Meat Company/Sitkinak Cattle Ranch, a grass-fed beef operation on Kodiak Island, announced the opening of their mobile abattoir, a 4-trailer solution to many of the logistical problems that bedevil grass-based producers.

The trailers travel separately. On site, they are configured into an “L shape” and perform all the operations needed to get meat to market. Live animals enter the first trailer where they are humanely slaughtered and inspected by the USDA. The carcasses go into the second trailer, where they are divided into individual cuts or ground into sausage. In the third trailer, the hamburger is seasoned, smoked, and stuffed into sausage casings. The sausages are vacuum sealed and then pressure-cooked to kill all bacteria. The meat is then “shelf-stable” and can be kept without refrigeration. Live animals enter the first trailer and sausage comes out the third.

The abattoir will be fully functional in October, 2009. Father and son team Nathan and Bob Mudd, owners of the Alaska Meat Company, plan to extend their operation to process bison and reindeer—hey! It’s Alaska. 

Making sense out of meat labels

Ever wonder what all those meat labels really mean? For example, what is meant by non-confined? natural? source verified? cage free?

The folks at The Sustainable Table website have taken the time to figure it out and compile the information in a comprehensive, downloadable, easy-to read glossary of meat labels. Click here to view a copy.

Eggs from pastured hens are far richer in vitamin D

Eggs from hens raised outdoors on pasture have from three to six times more vitamin D than eggs from hens raised in confinement. Pastured hens are exposed to direct sunlight, which their bodies convert to vitamin D and then pass on to the eggs.

 Vitamin D is best known for its role in building strong bones. New research shows that it can also enhance the immune system, improve mood, reduce blood pressure, combat cancer, and reduce the risk of some autoimmune disorders. 

This latest good news about eggs comes from a study just released by Mother Earth News, a magazine that plays a leading role in promoting health-enhancing, natural foods. The editors found that eating just two eggs will give you from 63-126% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.

Note that this benefit comes only from hens that are free to graze fresh greens, eat bugs, and bask in the sun. Most of the eggs sold in the supermarket do not meet this criterion. Even though the label says that the eggs are “certified organic” or come from “uncaged” or “free-range” hens or from hens fed an “all-vegetarian” diet, this is no guarantee that the hens had access to the outdoors or pasture.

Look for eggs from “pastured” hens. You are most likely to find these superior eggs at farmer’s markets or natural food stores.

Better yet, purchase them directly from your local farmer. Click on the following link, then scroll down to the yellow map of the United States. Click on your state. Find eggs from pastured hens on eatwild.com

The European Union refuses to buy U.S. chicken

Few people realize that the European Union has banned the import of all US poultry since 1997. This month, EU agriculture ministers voted to continue the ban despite aggressive pressure from the United States. The issue?  The standard practice in the US poultry industry is to wash the carcasses in chlorinated water to kill bacteria.

European health authorities are not convinced that it’s safe to ingest the small amounts of chlorine that remain on the meat and concluded that lifting the ban would “threaten the community’s entire set of food production standards.” 

John Bowis from the UK was more outspoken. He told reporters that “lifting the ban would be “outrageous” and would degrade EU citizens to the status of “guinea pigs.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of US citizens are unwittingly playing that role.

From Texas grain-fed to Kansas grass-fed

Topolobampo,a white-table restaurant in Chicago, is reported to be Barack and Michelle Obama’s favorite restaurant.

Several months ago, managing chef Brian Enyart placed grain-fed and grass-fed ribeye steaks side-by-side on the menu. Grass-fed steaks were the clear favorite. On some days, almost twice as many grass-fed steaks came off the grill. 

Topolobampo’s main supplier is Eatwild’s own Tall Grass Beef.

Healthy Eggs:  What we knew in 1932

In the 1930s, scientists and food producers were creating the first plans to take poultry off family farms and raise them in confinement. To enact their plans, they needed to create “feed rations” that would keep the birds alive and productive even though they were denied their natural diet of greens, seeds, and insects. It was a time of trial and error.

In a 1932 experiment conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, breeding hens were taken off pasture and fed a wide variety of feed ingredients. When the birds were fed a diet that was exclusively soy or corn or wheat or cottonseed meal, the chickens didn’t lay eggs or the chicks that developed from the eggs had a high rate of mortality and disease. 

But when birds were fed these same inadequate diets and put back on pasture, their eggs were perfectly normal. The pasture grasses and the bugs made up for whatever was missing in each of the highly restrictive diets. 

“The effect of diet on egg composition.” Journal of Nutrition 6(3) 225-242. 1933.

How spreadable is your butter?

Take a cube of butter from your refrigerator, slice it with a knife, and spread it on a slice of bread. Did it coat the bread evenly or did it remain in hard lumps? Researchers have determined that the easier butter spreads, the better it is for your health.

Why is this? The firmness of butter depends on its ratio of saturated and unsaturated fat. At refrigerator temperatures, saturated fat is hard and unsaturated fat is soft, or even liquid. Therefore, butter that is relatively easy to spread has less saturated, artery-clogging fat and more (healthier) unsaturated fat.  

In addition, a 2006 study shows that the softer the butter, the more fresh pasture in the cow’s diet. Cows that get all their nutrients from grass have the softest butterfat of all. Butter from grass-fed cows also has more cancer-fighting CLA, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids than butter from cows raised in factory farms or that have limited access to pasture. 

(For more information about the benefits of dairy products from grass-fed cows, read Jo Robinson’s essay, Super Healthy Milk. To find a local farmer who raises cows on grass, go to our Eatwild Directory of Farms and Ranches.)

“The Linear Relationship between the Proportion of Fresh Grass in the Cow Diet, Milk Fatty Acid Composition, and Butter Properties.” Journal of Dairy Science, 2006. 89:1956–1969. [Note: this study is available free of charge at the Journal of Dairy Science website.]

Be a “meat and spinach” or a “meat and red wine” kind of a guy

Eating red meat—but not white meat or fish—is linked with a moderately increased risk of colon cancer. Why is that? Some experts believe that the amount of iron in the food, specifically, a type of iron called “heme” iron, is part of the problem. Red meat has considerably more heme iron than its paler counterparts. Iron is essential for survival, but heme iron can irritate the lining of the colon and set up the preconditions for cancer. Another possible link with red meat and cancer is the amount of oxidized fat in the meat. You create oxidized fat when you grill meat, sear it, or cook it above medium rare.  

Do you have to cut back on grilled sirloin steak and lamb chops to lower your risk of colon cancer? Perhaps not. Eating foods high in antioxidants along with the meat could do the trick. Research shows that antioxidants have the potential to neutralize the ill effects of both the iron and the oxidized fat. For example, a 2005 study showed that eating spinach along with red meat eliminated all irritation of the colon. Now a 2008 study reveals that drinking a glass of red wine with your meal could do the same thing. It is likely that other foods high in antioxidants will offer similar protection. 

Does eating grass-fed meat also reduce your risk of colon cancer?  Meat from pastured animals has more antioxidants than feedlot meat, so it is a distinct possibility. To date, no one has studied this hypothesis.

Gorelik, S., M. Ligumsky, et al. (2008). "The Stomach as a ‘Bioreactor’: When Red Meat Meets Red Wine." J Agric Food Chem.        

De Vogel, J., Denise Jonker-Termont et al. (2005). “Green vegetables, red meat and colon cancer: chlorophyll prevents the cytotoxic and hyperproliferative effects of haem in rat colon.” Carcinogenesis.

Grass-fed beef clearly superior, says new German and Canadian study

Yet another study shows that grass-fed meat is nutritionally superior to feedlot meat. This newest study examined the differences in fat content between four breeds of cattle that were either 1) raised on pasture or 2) given grain and other feedstuff in a feedlot.

As in previous research, the results showed that meat from cattle raised on pasture had much healthier fats. The researchers concluded that grass-fed meat is “clearly superior” and “remarkably beneficial.”  They stated that grass-fed meat “should be promoted as an important part of a healthy balanced diet.” Read the study summary.

(Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, June 2008, 56:4775-4782.) 

More meat packing plants charged with inhumane treatment

The abuse of cattle at the Hallmark/Westmark Meat Packing Company (see below) is not a rare event, according to the USDA. The agency’s recent audit revealed inhumane treatment in 4 out of 18 slaughter plants.

One plant was cited for inadequate stunning, which meant that some animals were conscious at slaughter. Another got black marks for overuse of “hot shots,” electric stunning devices used to control the cattle. Overcrowding and the use of high-powered hoses earned demerits for two additional plants.

The audit was part of the heightened USDA surveillance of packing plants following the Hallmark/Westmark abuses.

United Press International, April 9, 2008

The Grass-Fed Paradox

Grazing animals that eat their native diet of grass have more polyunsaturated fat in their meat than animals fed grain and other types of foodstuff. This is one of the reasons that grass-fed meat is better for your health. But polyunsaturated fats are prone to oxidation and oxidized meat can have a rancid or “off” flavor, and the meat spoils more quickly. It was long thought that grass-fed meat would suffer this fate.

But new studies show that grass-fed meat is less likely to oxidize than ordinary feedlot meat. Why? The answer is that there are more antioxidants in grass than grain, and these protective substances keep the polyunsaturated fat from oxidizing. When you eat meat from a grass-fed cow, you are consuming more polyunsaturated fat, more antioxidants, and the meat is less likely to spoil.

Mercier, Y., P. Gatellier, M. Renerre (2004). "Lipid and protein oxidation in vitro, and antioxidant potential in meat from Charolais cows finished on pasture or mixed diet." Meat Science 66: 467-473.

Hallmark animal abuse update

On February 4th, the USDA suspended operations at the Hallmark Packing Plant in Chino, California, the plant that has been accused of abusing sick and injured dairy cattle. (For more information, see posting directly below.) 

Meat from the Hallmark plant supplied meat for the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. 

Suspending operations at Hallmark is not going to stop similar abuse at other slaughter facilities. Clearly, the present safeguards are inadequate. You can express your concern by emailing your government representatives. (Go to www.congress.org for a quick and easy way to find the names of your representatives and their email links. Enter your zip code in the box in the upper left hand side of the page.) In your emails, refer to the “Hallmark Animal Abuse.”

Caught on film

On January 30th, the Humane Society of the United States released a video showing extreme animal cruelty at the Hallmark Meat Packing Co. in Chino, California. Among other atrocities, the video shows sick and injured cattle being shoved by forklifts, kicked in the head, and shocked with electric probes in an effort to get them to stand up.

“Downer” cattle—those that are too sick or lame to walk—have been banned from human consumption since 2003. A Swiss study found that downer cattle are 49 to 58 times more likely to have mad cow disease (BSE) than ambulatory animals. Apparently, the workers were attempting to get around this ruling by forcing the animals to stand up. Click here to see a portion of the video. Warning: the video shows extreme abuse.     

Humane slaughter

Ranchers who raise their cattle on grass from birth to market do not send their animals to large slaughter houses such as the Hallmark Meat Packing Company where extreme cases of abuse were recently documented. (See post directly above.) Instead, they slaughter the animals on the farm or take them to small, independent slaughter facilities.

Ranchers who drive their grass-fed cattle to an abattoir go to great lengths to keep the animals calm. Some bring along cattle that are not earmarked for slaughter to give the animals the comfort of being with their herd mates. Many ranchers watch the entire slaughter process to ensure that their animals are being treated humanely every step of the way. 

Some ranchers practice “field slaughter.” In this case, they approach the animal out on the pasture, making sure not to trigger alarm. Then they kill it with a bullet to the head. The animal dies instantly and has no opportunity to experience pain. Other ranchers contract with a specially designed mobile slaughter facility that comes to the farm and manages the entire process from killing the animals to preparing the carcass for the aging process.

Typically, a grass-based ranch has fewer than 150 animals, and the owners can identify each animal by sight. Their goal is to make sure all the animals are well fed and cared for and do not experience unnecessary stress at any time of their lives.

To find a pasture-based rancher in your area, click here. Ask the farmers about their slaughtering protocol.

Read Jo Robinson’s article in Mother Earth News

The February/March issue of “Mother Earth News” features a persuasive article about unsavory feedlot practices written by Eatwild.com’s creator, Jo Robinson.

Read “What You Need to Know About the Beef You Eat” online, or purchase the magazine at a newsstand. You may also e-mail hhunt@motherearthnews.com for an electronic copy of the article as a pdf file complete with illustrations. Individuals may print up to 300 copies of the article for distribution.

Eatwild.com logs over 3.25 million visits

As we begin the New Year, eatwild.com has logged over 3.25 million visits. Most of our visitors have been from the United States, but a growing number are from countries as far-flung as Iceland and South Africa. There is a growing interest worldwide in raising animals humanely on food that approximates their native diets in a manner that protects the environment and supports local farmers. Go Grass!

The USDA proposes a “Naturally Raised” label

On November 28, 2007 the USDA published a new standard for the label, “Naturally Raised.” According to the proposed standard, meat, eggs and dairy products are “naturally raised” if they come from an animal that: 1) was not treated with antibiotics, hormones or other growth promoters; and 2) was not fed by-products from mammals or poultry. According to USDA research, many consumers object to these practices, which are commonplace throughout the United States. 

We find the proposed label misleading. A package of “Naturally Raised” steak as defined by the USDA could come from a cow that was confined in a feedlot for six months; fattened on GMO corn, candy and stale pastry; and was forced to stand knee-deep in its own manure.

We prefer a more wordy but accurate label: “Raised without Antibiotics, Hormones, or By-Products from Mammals or Poultry.”  Such a label would help consumers avoid unwanted chemicals and practices but not imply that the animal was raised under natural conditions. 

You can comment on the proposed label until January 28, 2008.  To read more about the label or register your comments follow this link.

Keep ‘em moving to reduce greenhouse gasses

All ruminants—including cattle, sheep, bison, and goats—belch up a significant amount of methane gas as they digest their grass-based diet. Methane gas is a potent contributor to global warming, so reducing methane production is an important step in protecting the environment.

Animal scientists have discovered that dividing pasture land into separate areas or “paddocks” and carefully managing the movement of cattle through those paddocks produces the highest quality grasses. Cattle that graze on this succulent grass produce as much as 20 percent less methane. This style of ranching is called “Management Intensive Grazing” or MiG, and it’s practiced by most of the ranchers on eatwild.com.

DeRamus, H. A., T. C. Clement, D. D. Giampola, and P. C. Dickison. "Methane Emissions of Beef Cattle on Forages: Efficiency of Grazing Management Systems." J Environ Qual 32, no. 1 (2003): 269-77.

Long-lived cows reduce global warming

Bossy has a short lifespan when she is raised in a confinement dairy, which is the way most cows are raised today. She provides a very high volume of milk, partly due to hormone injections and a high-grain diet, but she lasts for only 2-3 years. Then infertility, disease, physical problems, or inflammation end her milking career, and she is sold at auction for hamburger.  

Cows raised on grass are healthier and more fertile, making them good milk producers for up to twelve years. These long-lived and more contented cows may reduce greenhouse gas production (methane) between 10 and 11 percent according to a British Study.

Garnsworthy, P.C., The environmental impact of fertility in dairy cows: a modeling approach to predict methane and ammonia emissions, Animal Feed Science & Technology, 2004. 112: 211-223.

What do the Russians know that we don’t know?

Effective November 1, 2007, Russians will no longer import poultry products from 17 U.S. processing plants. The reason? The plants don’t measure up to their health and safety standards.

This summer, the Russian Federation Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service audited dozens of facilities around the country and found that the following plants failed to meet their minimal standards:

• Choctaw Maid Farms, Forest, MS.
• Sanderson Farms, Hazlehurst, MS.
• Sanderson Farms, Collins, MS.
• Mountaire Farms, Selbyville, DE.
• Tyson Foods, Carthage, MS.
• Fieldale Farms, Murrayville, GA.
• Nordic, Atlanta, GA.
• Peco Foods, Bay Springs, MS.
• Sylvest Farms, Montgomery, AL.
• Tyson Foods, Clarksville, AR.
• Americold Logistics, Montgomery, AL.
• Americold Logistics, Charlotte, NC.
• Millard Refrigerated Service, Richland, MS.
• Stanford Refrigerated Warehouses, Macon, GA.
• Greko, Cumming, GA.
• Simmons Foods, Siloam Springs, AR.

The USDA is investigating the Russian claims.

Do you know where your poultry comes from? Ask your store manager.

(Alicia Karapetian. Poultry News, 10/19/07. www.meatingplace.com)

Huge recall of feedlot hamburger

The Topps Meat Company recalled 27.1 million pounds of hamburger on October 1st due to possible contamination with dangerous E. coli bacteria. The E. coli outbreak, the second largest in history, covers an eight state area. To date, there are a number of confirmed illnesses and more than 20 people suspected of having been sickened by the meat.

Nine brands of meat are involved. If you have any hamburger in your freezer with a sell-by date between Sept. 25, 2007 and Sept. 25, 2008 and a package number of 9748, throw it away.

Large meat companies such as Topps combine meat from hundreds of cows in one giant vat of  hamburger. The bacteria is so virulent that E. coli from a single animal can contaminate the entire batch. Then, if the equipment is not thoroughly cleaned, traces of bacteria can contaminate all the batches processed that day. In this case, government inspectors investigating the case saw sanitation problems that led to the ban of meat processed over a prolonged period of time.

Free-range eggs nutritionally superior

As it turns out, all those choices of eggs at your supermarket aren't providing you much of a choice at all.

Recent tests conducted by Mother Earth News magazine have shown once again that eggs from chickens that range freely on pasture provide clear nutritional benefits over eggs from confinement operations.

Mother Earth News collected samples from 14 pastured flocks across the country and had them tested at an accredited laboratory. The results were compared to official US Department of Agriculture data for commercial eggs. Results showed the pastured eggs contained an amazing:

• 1/3 less cholesterol than commercial eggs
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 7 times more beta carotene

Full results of the tests are available in the October/November 2007 issue of Mother Earth News, or on their website at
http://www.MotherEarthNews.com/eggs. Check Eatwild's Pastured Products Directory to find free-range eggs near you.

Hold the heat. Get more calcium.

You absorb more calcium when you eat raw milk yogurt, according to a new study in the Journal of American College of Nutrition.

Forty adult volunteers alternated between eating raw and pasteurized yogurt. The researchers reported that “circulating calcium markedly increased one hour after the fresh yogurt intake, while no changes were detected after the pasteurized [yogurt.]” This was true for people who had no difficulty digesting milk and those who were lactose intolerant.

To find a supplier of raw milk yogurt, enter the word “yogurt” in the Search Site in the left margin of this page.

Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 26, No.3, 288-294. 2007

Corn prices too high? Feed the animals candy instead

The growing use of corn for fuel has doubled the price of corn for animal feed. Typically, corn comprises about 70 percent of the diet of animals raised in confinement. To offset the spiking cost of corn, many feedlot managers are replacing some of the corn with candy and other “junk food” that has been declared unfit for human consumption.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, this sugary, fatty fare includes banana chips, yogurt-covered raisin, cookies, licorice, cheese curls, frosted wheat cereal, Tater Tots, Kit Kat bars, uncooked French fries, pretzels and chocolate bars. One feedlot operator from Idaho confesses that he feeds his cattle a 100 percent “by-product” meal.

Grass, the native diet of grazing animals, is a rich source of protein, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. Has anyone measured the nutritional value of meat from junk-food-fed cows? Candy may be cheap, but it’s cheating consumers out of meat’s natural nutrition. Consider grass-fed, instead.

“With Corn Prices Rising, Pigs Switch to Fatty Snacks” Lauren Etter, Wall Street Journal, May 21, 2007.

Pizza dough and tetracycline

In an interview with a former manager of a cattle feedlot, Eatwild has learned of an extreme example of raising cattle on junk food. In this particular feedlot, the cattle were fattened on stale pizza crust that the owners purchased from a wholesale bakery for only a penny a pound.

The pizza dough was then mixed with powdered tetracycline, an antibiotic that is not approved for use in cattle because it is important for human medicine. Adding low (subtherapeutic) levels of antibiotics make cattle eat more and gain weight more rapidly. 

On this junk food and drug diet, the cattle put on as much as four pounds a day, a remarkable rate of growth. The end result was more money for the feedlot, more abuse of medications that are important for human medicine, and more meat of questionable quality for an unsuspecting public.

The degree to which American cattle are being fed junk food and off-label drugs is not known.

Farm milk linked with lower rate of asthma and allergies

A large European study of nearly 15,000 children revealed that drinking farm milk rather than commercial milk is linked with a lower risk of asthma and allergies.

Children who drank farm milk at any time of their lives had a 26% lower risk of asthma, 33% lower risk of pollen sensitivity, and a remarkable 57% lower risk of food allergies. This was true for children who lived on a farm and those who lived in the city and drank farm milk.

It was not clear from the study whether the reduction in risk was due to the fact that the milk was unpasteurized or the fact that the farm milk came from grazing cows. Milk from cows raised on pasture has more omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and other nutrients that may reduce the risk of allergies.

Clinical and Experimental Allergy.Volume 37, pages 661-670. 2006

Cheap meat: An accident waiting to happen

The latest fiasco in the U.S. livestock industry is that 20 million chickens, thousands of hogs, and an unknown number of farmed fish have been raised on feed contaminated with melamine, the chemical that made headline news when it got into pet food and sickened tens of thousands of cats and dogs. According to the USDA, meat from hogs and chickens fed melamine has already entered our food supply.

How did this happen? The story begins in China. Melamine is an inexpensive by-product of the coal industry. In a deceptive practice, Chinese producers have been mixing melamine with certain feed ingredients in order to inflate their protein content. (Melamine is not a protein and has no food value, but it mimics protein on standardized laboratory tests.) Melamine costs less than true sources of protein, so the manufacturers make more money.

The story continues in the United States. In order to lower the cost of production, U.S. pet food manufacturers have been importing cheap protein meal from China. Unbeknownst to the manufacturers, recent shipments have been spiked with melamine. As a result, thousands of pets became sick or died.

Now we get to the pigs, chickens, and fish. A common cost-cutting practice in the livestock industry is to supplement animal feed with floor sweepings and other remnants from pet food plants. The sweepings contain enough meal to offer some nutritional value. But recently, the sweepings have also been laced with melamine. In this serpentine fashion, a toxic chemical that was first added to pet food found its way to our very own tables.

The USDA does not foresee any health consequences from eating melamine-spiced pork, poultry, and fish. Hopefully, this will prove to be true. But as long as we feed our animals on a “least-cost” basis, we risk a host of problems, ranging from minor contamination with an industrial chemical to mad cow disease. The solution is to raise our livestock on their native diets or on quality ingredients that match their original diets as closely as possible. We are what our animals eat.

Federal Ruling To Allow Meatpackers to Test for Mad Cow Disease

A federal judge ruled on March 29, 2007 that the government must allow meatpackers to test their meat for Mad Cow Disease.

The ruling came in a case brought to the courts by Creekstone Farms, which raises cattle in Kentucky and has a processing plant in Kansas. Creekstone wanted to test all of its animals for the disease in order to open up sales in Japan and other strict markets, but was threatened with prosecution by the Agricultural Department if they did so.

The Agriculture Department currently regulates the tests, which it administers to about 1% of all slaughtered cows. Many large meat processors opposed the increase in testing because they feared that market pressure would force them to test all their cows as well.

The federal district court judge put the order on hold until June 1st when the ruling will take affect unless the government appeals.

Oops! Feed Mix-Ups Can Kill

Recently, nine feedlots in Canada ordered chicken feathers to feed their cattle and farm-raised deer. This is standard practice in many factory farms. Feather meal is cheap and high in protein and speeds the animals’ growth.

Due to a mix-up, however, the Saskatchewan feedlots received meat and bone meal instead—food that has been outlawed as ruminant feed because it has the potential to spread Mad Cow Disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency must now decide whether or not to slaughter all 8,000 animals.

When grazing animals are raised on their native diet of grass and green plants, there is no need to worry about deadly shipping errors. The animals eat what they are designed to eat, creating a safe supply of meat for consumers.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows a strong link between breast cancer and red meat consumption. Women who ate 1 ½ or more servings of red meat a day were almost twice as likely to have “hormone-sensitive” breast cancer as women eating 3 or fewer servings a week. Eating red meat had no link with “hormone-negative” breast cancer.

The exact cause is unknown, but the investigators suggest that the wide spread use of hormone implants in cattle could play a role. An earlier test-tube study showed that adding an FDA-approved hormone implant called “Zeranol” to human breast cancer cells caused a rapid spurt in growth. This was true even when the levels of Zeranol were three hundred times lower than the amount the FDA considers safe.

Hormone implants are banned in the European Union. If you want beef free of added hormones in the United States, look for 100 percent grass-fed beef, organic beef, or beef labeled “raised without added hormones.” If you are buying directly from a farmer, ask about hormone use.

Arch Intern Med. 2006; I 66:2253-2259.

Three Times More CLA in a Grass-fed Hamburger

A lean hamburger from grass-fed cattle has two and a half times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than an equally lean hamburger from cattle raised in a feedlot. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a healthy fat that has been shown to fight obesity, cancer, and diabetes in lab animals. Human studies are now underway.

“A literature Review of the Value-Added Nutrients Found in Grass-Fed Beef Products.” Nutrition Journal, June 2006 (In Press.)

More Mad Cows. Less Government Testing

The third case of mad cow disease in the United States was confirmed in an Alabama cow on March 13, 2006. Mad cow disease, or BSE, can cause a brain-wasting disease in humans. The only known source of disease transmission among cattle comes from feed contaminated with tissue from an infected cow. Grass-fed cattle eat fresh pasture and stored grasses only, virtually eliminating the possibility of mad cow disease.

Prior to the identification of the first case of BSE in 2003, the FDA was testing only 55 cows a day. Following the discovery, it increased its surveillance to 1,000 cows a day. Now, the FDA is proposing to test only 110 cows a day, which is one tenth of one percent of the number of the animals being consumed.

Japan tests every cow for BSE. Following slaughter, a portion of each animal’s brain is given a rapid test for the disease. The carcasses are kept in cold storage until the test results are known. The Japanese government has adopted this stringent practice to assure the health of the public and to restore consumer faith in the government’s ability to safeguard the food supply. FDA take note.

Union of Concerned Scientists Extol Benefits of  Grass-Fed Beef and Dairy

On March 8, 2006, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a non-profit alliance of more than 100,000 U.S. scientists, released an 80-page report on grass-fed beef and dairy products. Summarizing the report, author Dr. Kate Clancy said "When you eat grass-fed meat, you're getting beef with benefits. There are no losers in producing cattle entirely on pasture. Farmers win, consumers win, the environment wins, and even the cattle win."

Visitors to eatwild.com are well-acquainted with these themes. The significance of the UCS report is that it gives pasture-based farming the seal of approval of a highly regarded group of scientists who are devoted to promoting the health of Americans and the environment. The report committee surveyed dozens of published studies before arriving at their conclusions. The bottom line, according to their investigation, is that raising animals on pasture:

•  Decreases soil erosion and increases soil fertility
•  Improves water quality
•  Improves human health due to reduced antibiotic use
•  Improves farmer and farm worker health
•  Improves animal health and welfare
•  Results in more profit per animal for producer
•  The report also validates the fact that products from pasture-raised animals are  lower in total fat, and higher in omega-3 fatty acids, CLA (conjugated linolenic acid), vitamin E, and beta-carotene.

Read the report in its entirety.