What to Ask a Rancher About Grass Fed Beef

I was talking with a local rancher one weekend at a farmer's market. I asked him a couple of questions. The more questions I asked the tall cowboy with the big belt buckle, the more he stammered. 

"Are your cows grass finished?" I queried.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. They're grass fed." He assured me.

"Okay," I replied, but a small doubt came bubbling up, so I clarified, "but their also finished on grass? No grain?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, you bet," he replied, hooking his thumbs into his jean pockets.  

My wariness rose. I thought, "Well, maybe he's new to this industry..." and I asked, "Could I come see your operation?"

His cowboy hat moved left and right quickly, swiveling as he said, "Oh no. We're not set up for that. If you buy from us, we'll bring the meat to you or to one of our drop off locations here in town."

I nodded my head and said, "Okay, well, thanks." And my husband, daughter and I walked away.

"That's not good," commented my nine year old. "He should have us out. We need to find a rancher who wants us to come visit him."  

I had to smile. My kid gets what this rancher, who may be new to grass-fed consumers, does not. We are the consumers who want to have a personal relationship with our beef supplier. In the local and the farm-to-table markets, we want to know our farmers. We want to visit them. And then we want to support them.  

Having recently moved to my new home in Northern Colorado, I need a new local source of grass-fed beef. In my previous job, I marketed grass-fed and finished beef for two years in Oregon. So, I know what should not go on behind barn doors.

When you are shopping for grass-fed and finished beef, there are some questions you should ask and some things you should know.

So here are the questions you want to ask your beef rancher. 

1. Is your cattle ever fed grain? Some folks prefer grain-fed cattle, but if you're looking for grass-finished, you need to make sure they aren't finishing them on grain. Strictly speaking, you can sell grass-fed beef that's grain-finished. Be sure to ask, “Is your cattle grass fed and finished?” One rancher heard my question and clarified right off that he did finish his with some grain.
2. What do you feed the cattle in winter?  From December through March or so, it’s harder for ranchers to feed the cattle off the land. So you need to know the practices of your area because they vary throughout the country.  In Missouri, for example, the winters are mild and ranchers plant winter grass to feed their cattle.  In Oregon, my friend Farmer Mike plants enough grass in summer to harvest and feed as hay throughout the winter. Here in Colorado, one of the ranchers I met moves her cattle throughout the year from pasture to pasture.  She has land in the high country and on the prairie.
3. What treatment do you give a sick cow?  Ranchers deal with infectious conditions throughout the year such as respiratory disease, scours, foot rot and pinkeye. Most ranchers in the grass-fed/finished business who have to treat a cow with antibiotics pull it from the program and sell it at auction.
4. Do you use any herbicides on your crops (if you have any) or grass pastures? You are what you eat. If your rancher is spraying his pastures or crops, the cows will consume the pesticides and it will end up in the meat you purchase.  Grass fed and finished beef is a whole way of life that includes how the rancher manages the ranch itself, how s/he pastures the cattle, manages water use, etc.
5. Are hormones or steroids ever given to your cows? Very similar to how a sick cow is treated, a cow given steroids or hormones should be pulled from a grass-fed/finished beef program and sold at auction or in a traditional beef market.
6. How old and how heavy are the cattle when you take them to harvest?  Generally, the best tasting beef is from an 18 - 24 month old cow who has been pastured all summer and is ready for harvest in the fall.  The meat has a bit more fat because the cow has enjoyed the best grass, the warm sunshine, lazy days and has had lots of time to relax.  So the meat is perfect!  These cows are usually about 1,000 pounds. Incidentally, you can harvest in the winter; the cow will be smaller and the meat tougher. The reason it’s tougher is because the cow expends a lot of energy keeping himself warm.
7. What is your procedure when you take them to harvest and where do you take them? You want cattle that is taken the morning of “harvest” (or butchering); not the night before. You want your rancher and the butcher to keep the animals relaxed so that fear and anxiety don’t affect the taste of the beef.  That may seem far fetched, but ranchers dedicated to providing a good life for their cattle and raising delicious, healthy beef are committed to a quality end of life for their cattle. Also, the butcher should be local.
8. Can I visit you on your ranch to see your operation first hand? Of all the requirements that I am looking for in my beef supplier, this is high on my list. I want my rancher to be transparent, honest and committed to grass-fed and finished cattle and the way of life that it promotes. Grass-fed ranchers, as a rule, want you to see what they do first hand. They know it helps you appreciate where you meat comes from!
   
   

   A Rewarding Relationship

   Working for the DD Ranch in Oregon gave me so much joy and I used my marketing skills for something I believe in.  I met ranchers and farmers who are committed to caring for their animals, land and for the people they feed. Get to know your farmer and rancher. Ask them questions (and then hang on because they love to talk about their work!))  Give them your business. It's a win/win!
   
   For Further Reading:

• http://www.gracelinks.org/media/pdf/questions_to_ask_beef_ho_20100107.pdf
• http://sheboygan.uwex.edu/files/2010/08/Consumerguide-to-grass.pdf
• http://www.americangrassfed.org/research/

Are CFLs Green?

“You know, those CFLs aren’t that green,” my brother-in-law declared.

My husband and I were helping him move into his new house and talking about lighting.  We, like so many of us, have dutifully replaced our incandescent bulbs with CFLs.  You know, because “they” told us to.  So, I didn’t say anything to my brother-in-law. I just kept moving boxes and thinking, “What are you talking about?”

After visiting “Google University,” I’m deciding that Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are green!  And they are not green.  Why can’t anything be simple?

CFLs are green.

CFLs use up to 75% less electricity than an incandescent light bulb.
They also last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

CFLs are not green.

4 to 5 millimeters of mercury is contained in
each CFL. This amount fits on the tip of a ballpoint pen.

CFLs contain mercury.  You know, that silver liquid previously used in glass thermometers? The mercury is required to make the lamp efficient.  There’s between four and five millimeters of mercury in each CFL. That’s enough to contaminate 6,000 gallons of water, but it’s small enough to fit on the tip of a ballpoint pen.  If the CFL breaks, you will be exposed to mercury.  Mercury is toxic in high doses and can cause brain damage, liver damage…all kinds of neurological problems.  Yet, there’s really not enough mercury in a CFL to cause damage.  But, there’s evidence out there that some have suffered from broken CFLs.  The government has deemed it safe to use, but the EPA wants you to take precautions.  The EPA says that if a CFL breaks in your house, you must first clear the room of all people and pets and on your way out, open a door or window. If the central air is running, shut it off. Stay out of the room for five to ten minutes. Then, you can go in and clean it up. (They have a step by step guide for this. I’ll put a link at the bottom of this post).  This does not sound green to me. Also, you have to dispose of a CFL properly because if you don’t, you are putting mercury into our landfills.  Not a lot per CFL, but over time it would be a problem.  That’s not green.

No, wait, CFLs are green.

The EPA estimates the U.S. is responsible for the release of 104 metric tons of mercury emissions each year. 40% of these emissions come from coal-fired power generation. Mercury released into the air is the main way that mercury gets into water and bio-accumulates in fish.  From what I gather, the other portion of these emissions comes from electricity. The logic is that because CFLs use less electricity than incandescent bulbs, we are emitting less mercury when we use CFLs.  So that’s green.

No, wait CFLs are not green.

Researchers are testing CFLs emissions of ultraviolet radiation, electrical hypersensitivity and electromagnet hypersensitivity because there's evidence that they may cause health issues in these areas.  Well, that’s disturbing. (I just moved my lamp, affixed with a CFL, a few more feet away from my desk…)

So, what’s a consumer to do? Well, here are some choices:

1. Buy CFLs and recycle them when they are finished.  Home Depot offers recycling.  (I also looked into how these are recycled. Link for this is below).
2. Don’t drop them. Just don’t. And if you do, get out of the room and then check the epa.gov website for what to do next.
3. Stop buying CFLs and switch to LED or Halogen.  Yep. Those don’t have mercury.
4. Go back to buying incandescent light bulbs.  The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, signed by President George W. Bush on December 18, 2007, requires “regular” light bulbs to use less energy… “In January 2013, bulbs as bright as current 75-watt incandescents will not be able to use more than 53 watts.”

Helpful Links:

• How to Clean Up a Broken CFL, EPA guidelines 
• How CFLs Are Recycled 
• Where to Recycle Your CFLs 

Other references used for this blog post:

• http://sustainability.asu.edu/practice/what-you-can-do/cfls.php
• http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/cfl-disposal-and-recycling.html
• http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=are-compact-fluorescent-lightbulbs-dangerous
• http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/stage/pdf/cfl_recycle.pdf

BPA Free Plastic Bags

Good News for Food Storage

I cooked a batch of beans the other day and recalled that a reader questioned my use of plastic freezer bags to store the cooked beans (It's In the Freezer). The concern was BPA.  

BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical compound found in some plastic products that some experts fear may be hazardous to your health. The FDA thought it was safe until 2010 when more test results came in suggesting reasons to be concerned.  They are now concerned about the possibility that it is linked to cancer, heart problems, behavior and more.  BPA is usually found in hard plastic baby bottles, water bottles, hard plastic microwavable cookware, some plastic storage bags and containers and in the linings of aluminum cans.  It's also in medical devices, compact discs, dental sealants, the lining of canned foods and drinks (yes, my favorite Pepsi!) and many other products. 

"One reason people may be concerned about BPA is because human exposure to BPA is widespread. The 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found detectable levels of BPA in 93% of 2517 urine samples from people six years and older. The CDC NHANES data are considered representative of exposures in the United States."  (Source) 

If you don't want BPA in your freezer bags, I have good news for you! 

"SC Johnson does not use BPA in its plastic products, Ziploc® Brand Bags and Containers." (Ziploc)

So, good news! You can freeze your veggies and legumes using Plastic and still be BPA free using Ziploc® bags (AND you can collect Box Tops for your favorite school while you're at it!)


Of course, you can freeze without plastic. There's an article below (The Nickel Pincher) and I've not tried using glass yet. But it's  now on my list. If you have experience freezing without plastic (or with) please help us out with your tips and tricks. 


Learn More:

• The Facts About Bisphenol A, WebMD
• BPA Free Cans, Misterbelly
• Freezing Without Plastic, The Nickel Pincher

Some Pros and Cons of Joining a CSA

CSA Organic Vegetables

A First Hand Account of Being a CSA Member

It’s June! What are you doing to purchase vegetables and fruits this summer?  My friends and I often purchase our local vegetables through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  

A CSA is, basically, a group of individuals who pledge to support a farm in the spring and then reap the benefits at harvest time.  

Last year, I joined Groundworks Organics out of Junction City, OR. I paid $500 in March 2011 and enjoyed organic, “local” produce for five months (June-Nov).  The box of food is more than adequate and I actually divided my box with my neighbor.  (Truthfully, I would have been challenged to eat the entire box of produce with my family of three before the next week’s delivery!)  For $20 a week, a farm within 100 miles of our town delivered a 10 gallon Rubbermaid tote full of produce, picked that morning.  The containers were piled at a designated location. I drove there, marked my name off a clipboard and took my box.   (Or, I took bags and transferred the produce into my bags). 

My CSA introduced me to garlic whistles, taught me how to cook beets, and provided me with sweet, organic berries.  Here are more benefits of membership…

The pros of joining a CSA are, as I’ve experienced them:

• 1Supporting a local farm. I live in the high desert where it’s difficult to grow produce.  I have adopted a locavore philosophy that embraces food grown within 100 miles of my town.
• Receiving a weekly newsletter with recipes and information about produce I’ve not used before (eg. garlic whistles)
• Putting affordable, organic, local food on my family table
• Receiving a discount at their booth at the weekly local farmer’s market
• Invitation to visit the farm and learn how they manage it
• Eating in season. I now know strawberries grow in June and early July and that’s when I eat them, freeze them and can them.  Rarely now do I buy or eat them out of season.

Some of the cons of a joining a CSA are:

• What you get is what you eat, or give away or throw out (God forbid!).  If you don’t like turnips or potatoes or you want more fruit, your CSA box can be as much a source of irritation as a source of inspiration.  Make lemonade out of lemonade? Sure! But turnip-ade?
• How much basil can you eat, freeze or make into pesto? Our CSA had basil almost every week one summer. It was good. However, even though we split it between two families, no one wanted to see another basil plant for the rest of the year.
•  If you leave town frequently in the summer, a CSA may not work for you.  You receive a credit for the time you are gone that you must use before the season ends. However, the number of credits you receive are limited, depending upon your CSA. My neighbor and I were always able to work this out, but it takes a little creativity.

All in all, a CSA is wonderful adventure. You learn a lot and enjoy quality produce.  That said, I did not renew my CSA this year. I’ve challenged myself to go to the Farmer’s Market weekly and do my shopping.  (That always sounds so magical at the start of the season, but I do tend to lose my enthusiasm later in the summer).  If I had not made this challenge to myself, I would have joined again this year.

Many CSAs sign up members in the late winter/early spring, but it may not yet be too late! 

How to find a CSA in your area: www.localharvest.org/csa

Still not sure if a CSA is right for you? 

Visit this informative blog for more input: www.robbwolf.com

Let's Talk

Are you a CSA Member? Why or Why not?  
Do you have any questions about CSAs that I might be able to answer or get answers for you?
Please jump over to my blog and share your questions and your comments.  

Jump In

the cascades

I follow a program that helps me get started when I don't know where to start. The philosophy is simple.
  
1) Just jump in. 
2) Set the timer for 15 minutes and see what happens when you jump in!  


It's this philosophy I'm taking with me into my writing.  I've neglected both of my blogs for numerous working-mom reasons.  But let's face it, some of the neglect simply comes from the lack of discipline it takes to write ... and the fear that prevents me from writing.


But, thanks to the Flylady philosophy, I'm setting my timer for 15 minutes and I'm writing.  Here's to 15 minutes and jumping in!


--A pro-blogger would include an awesome picture of someone jumping in a river or pool. I don't have said picture at this writing, but I'm not going to let that keep me from pressing "publish"!

Ignorant or Informed? rbST in Your Milk

Last week, I read a blog that made me wonder what rbST-free milk is all about and whether it’s better than organic milk. Well, I started researching rbST and have learned so much that I haven’t even embarked on the organic portion of my question. They are related questions and I think you need to know one in order to know the other, so this week, let’s talk rbST.

WHAT rBst IS
rbST is a synthetic hormone used by dairy farmers to increase milk production in their cows. All cows have a naturally occurring bovine growth hormone, or BGH. At some point, science figured out how make a synthetic version of this hormone, rbST, or recombinant bovine somatotropin, and farmers began using it to increase milk production. The EPA and National Institute of Health say rbST is safe for you to drink; however, Canada, Japan and most Europe, disagree and banned it.

I want to clarify before I go on, rbST-free means that the synthetic hormone is no longer being used. The milk does still have BGH, or bovine growth hormone, because, remember, it is naturally occurring. So you’re going to have BGH in conventional or organic milk.

And one more point to clarify, apparently you can use rbST and rBGH interchangeably. Makes it kinda confusing!

rBST in COWS
To put this at a level I can understand, I thought about my own hormones. I have naturally occurring thyroid hormone, but not enough of it. So, I take a synthetic thyroid hormone in order to keep my thyroid functioning properly. A cow has BGH and some farmers are using rBST to increase their milk production. Now, if my thyroid was working properly and I took a synthetic thyroid hormone, my thyroid would be thrown into chaos and I would develop a thyroid problem. Can this analogy be applied to cows?

From all that I’ve read, there is no conclusive scientific evidence rBST causes medical problems for humans.   On the other hand, it’s actually undisputed that rBST causes medical problems for cows. rBST is directly related to the increased rates of mastitis, lameness and infertility. Some say it decreases their life span. So, back to my analogy: if I get too much thyroid hormone - chaos. If a cow gets too much BGH - chaos.

The reason farmers use rBST is to increase milk production. Well, is America short on milk? Nope, according to the New York Times we have too much,“But now, demand for dairy products is stalling amid a global economic slowdown and credit crisis, even as supplies have increased. The result is a glut of milk — and its assorted byproducts, like milk powder, butter and whey proteins — that has led to a precipitous drop in prices.”

Here in the Northwest, Fred Meyer and Safeway carry organic and rBGH-free milk only. There are still farmers who do use rBGH and so you will find it in other stores, but not very many. “A U.S. Department of Agriculture survey in 2007 determined that about 15% of dairy farms use rBST… As part of its Campaign for Safe Food, the Oregon chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility has compiled a growing list of companies that have gone partially or completely rBGH-free.” (reference link)

IGNORANT OR INFORMED?
Last week, my blog “Ignorant or Informed Consumer: your milk may not need to be rbST free,” highlighted Dr. Terry Etherton a Penn State professor who says that rbST is safe to consume. He says that we are ignorant consumers if we think that the rbST-free milk is better for us and that it's all a marketing ploy to get us to pay more money for milk.  I think he goes so far as to imply that we consumers are hurting the farmers by demanding no rbST in our milk.

Well, based on my research, I disagree. I am now an informed consumer who is in favor of rBST-free milk and milk products. We don’t need more milk in production, so we don’t need our cows to produce more. While it’s debatable if rBST is dangerous for your health, it’s not good for the cow's health. I don't think we're hurting farmers by demanding rbST-free milk. It's called supply and demand, Dr. Etherton...get over it. 

Since I live here in the Northwest, I won’t find it at my favorite grocery store. That leaves me with the next question: should I choose rBGH-free or should I choose organic milk?  Stay tuned...I'll share that in my next post.

Please, share your reaction to my research in the comments below.  Do you have different information to share with my readers about rbST? What books or articles have you read on this subject?  If you share it here, we can converse so, let's talk!

Ignorant or Informed Consumer: your milk may not need to be organic or rbST free

I try to buy organic milk. The reasons for buying organic milk have as much to do with my family's health as with how the farm land and animals are managed. I have the impression that cows that produce "organic" milk are healthier and so is the land around them.  There are no pesticides being used in their environment. There are no hormones being given to the cows.  As I write this, however, I have to admit that I haven't researched one bit of information regarding organic milk, rbST or "regular" milk.  My conclusions are based on hear-say and impressions that I have of the industry. 

I found this article today when I was reviewing my Twitter feeds over tea.  The blog entry is "The Smoke and Mirrors of Milk Marketing."  Now I'm both a consumer and a marketer, so this has my attention.  The author, Terry Etherton, says that farmers of rbST are being cheated.  "In a nutshell, some dairy processors and retailers have been willing to use deceptive labeling campaigns to exploit consumer ignorance, and raise the suspicion that some milk (i.e., organic or rbST-free) might be safer or healthier than other milk (i.e, conventional), and charge a whole lot more!


Uh. Am I an ignorant consumer or an informed one? Are advertisers and marketers exploiting me?  Etherton blogs that rbST is safe. He also blogs that we organic purchasers are not buying the milk we think we are, being fleeced I guess. 

It so happens that on Tuesday of this week, I researched the price of organic milk at Safeway and Fred Meyer.  At Safeway, 1/2 gallon is $3.29.  One gallon is $5.99.  At Fred Meyer 1/2 gallon is $2.99 and one gallon is $5.48.  I didn't even look at non-organic milk, but I think it's about $2.49 for one gallon.

Terry Etherton's blog entries around this subject is a good example of why I am blogging about groceries and food.  I want to be an informed consumer; not a victim of advertising.  As consumers, it's challenging to take the time to research this stuff and so that's what I'm here for - to research it, learn from it and share it with you. 

Here's a link to Terry Etherton's blog: http://blogs.das.psu.edu/tetherton/2008/04/01/food-costs-increase-and-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-rbst-free-milk-marketing-rolls-onand-onand-on/  (Dr. Etherton is a Distinguished Professor of Animal Nutrition and Head of the Department of Dairy and Animal Science at Penn State University).

Ignorant or Informed Consumer: your milk may not need to be organic or rbST free -- I'll find out and let you know...


So, I don't have time today to look into this any further. The kids are out of school today and tomorrow and I'm lucky I got this much written.  They've been in here just about every ten minutes asking for empty boxes, then tape, then scissors...you know.  Here's the deal. I am going to make this rbST my next research project. If you, my dear reader, have any information to share with me, please comment below or send me an email. Thanks.
~ Katrina