In a previous post I wrote about the 3 things people are looking for from Grass-Fed Beef. They are, Nutrient Density, Happy Animal-Environment and Trust

I then wrote about the 5 Factors that determine the quality of your grass-fed beef.

They were: 1. Genetics 2. Sex 3. Grass management 4. Butchering process 5.Quality assurance/Label

We’ve already explored genetics so So Let’s talk about SEX baby….

Sorry couldn’t resist it! I haven’t changed  much from the spotty youth reading the back of the cornflake box at breakfast table and breaking me arse laughing at my aunts discomfort as Salt N Peppa played “lets talk about sex baby”  on the radio.

But what’s got to do with Grass-Fed beef? Well, it’s another distinction that one can make as an educated consumer of beef. And if you’re looking for Grass-fed Beef that ticks all the boxes you’ll want to know. So what are the options?

Well, deep breath… when it comes to in cattle there are 3 options. A bit less that 57options that apply to humans, they are  Male, female and steer; (castrated male).

Males;

Males or bulls, grow very vigorously up to 15% faster than females/steers and convert feed 20% more efficiently. They are generally leaner and with more testosterone there is a chance of taint in the meat. In order to ameliorate this Bulls must be harvested young around 15-22months

Females; Divided into Heifers and cows. Cows have had offspring heifers haven’t. However even if a Heifer hasn’t had a calf she will be deemed a cow at 36months old.

Steers; In order to control breeding most Males are castrated before they reach sexual maturity. This makes the animal more docile and eliminates Testosterone taint.

Does it make a difference and what do I do?

Does it make a difference? Maybe if you’re only talking about burgers it wouldn’t but any of the better cuts it surely would! And let’s face it if you’re paying for grass-fed Beef  so would you want to be short-changed?

I personally have raised all three types, but I only use heifers for my direct-to-consumer product. It is possible to raise heifers and steers together on pasture and that is what I do.

Bulls however require a different regime! They can do ok on pasture early in their early development but eventually they reach a point where their intake of (naturally energy poor) pasture relative to their growth potential cross. Thereafter two things must be done to get the best results; They must be confined to reduce energy use, and fed with concentrates such as grain, soya, Corn etc for a minimum of 90days. This is an extremely efficient way of producing Beef Calories. However the purchasers of Grass-Fed are specifically trying to avoid “empty” calories

I’ve raised bulls myself and their growth rate is extraordinary. That said you have to make sure they don’t fight or hurt each other with their “rambunctious” behaviour. I must admit I’ve never eaten bull beef before but when you see these bovine body builders packing on muscle you have got to be concerned that the tenderness score aint going to be wonderful! Add to that the 3 things people are looking for from Grass-fed beef.

The Nutritive Density if the animals have been fed concentrates then the omega3-6 ratio is going to change within 10days of starting on concentrates.

Happy Animals/Environment; Bull beef can’t be said to be score high on this front. Removed from the pasture there are no Methanotrophs to absorb their methane. Also while “all the Boys together” is manageable fighting and “Jockeying” doesn’t epitomise a happy animal setting. Maybe a setting more reminiscent of a prison shower block.

Trust; While I’ve never eaten bull beef myself id be quite happy to try it. The key is I just want to be told that’s what I’m getting! I don’t see that happening in the mass market Grass-fed Beef Standard which doesn’t differentiate at all on sex only to say bulls must be fed a certain way(max 10% non grass over their lifetime). This from a customers viewpoint you would have to have a problem with. Bull Beef in my opinion should have Zero association with grass-fed beef much less a standard that defines  the Irish Beef.

Its all fine and well till a customer has a bad experience for all Irish grass fed beef to be tarred with the one brush. The inclusion of bull beef in the standard has nothing to do with giving the customer what he is looking for but driving volume into a “premium” category and I think that is very short sighted.

Steers vs Heifers

Looking at the science it seems that Steers have a greater tenderness measured by sheer force. However heifers seem to outperform steers in fat marbling which has a lubricating effect on the bite. From my personal experience I don’t believe there is  much difference between steers and heifers looking at them in the field. Maybe Steers can grow a bit faster and reach bigger sizes. They could both check off the Nutritive Density/Happy animal and Trust questions. But when you ask any butcher what he picks to hang in his shop its always the heifer!

Steers even after castration (their first bad day) have residual testosterone. Not enough to change the taste, but whether it’s an old wives tale or hard won butcher wisdom its believed that occasionally steers can have a stress reaction in the abattoir. The occasional beast might, and this could discolour the meat and leave it only suitable for burgers. Heifers certainly of traditional breeds are even tempered creatures. They only have one bad day in their lives and in reality, its only a fraction of a second.

Their smaller carcase size is also a factor for butchers who have to carry them but most importantly it’s because the butcher best trusts the heifer to deliver a quality to their customers that they can stand over and keep customers coming back for more

So even if your not buying from me I recommend you ask your local butcher for either steer or heifer meat.  Id be happy enough to eat Bull beef also but I wouldn’t be prepared to pay Grass-fed price for it.

I hope that was useful information for you. In my next  few posts ill cover the butchering process and the Quality Assurance Label. Feel free to sign up if you’d like to get them in your inbox

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In my last post I explored What’s Grass-Fed all about? What are the things people are looking for in grass-fed beef? Apart from the beautiful taste I summarised it to

Nutrient density,

Environment/ Happy Animals

Trust,

Check out that post if you’d like to catch up.

Grassfed whats it all about?

This article explains the 5 distinctions I make what I do to try and address those concerns. But hey, I’m only serving my local community and maybe these factors would be useful for you in deciding on your supplier wherever you live. So feel free ask your butcher!

So, to begin with, No. Not all grass-fed is equal!

That’s not a controversial statement but I think the larger meat companies might squirm a bit when people start making distinctions! Education, as your Granny said is no load to carry and with that education plus some application (asking questions and assessing the answers)  your discernment will grow and you can settle with a supplier you trust.

On our farm I’ve set out to do something, which I think is, special but let me give you my criteria to judge by and empower you to pick your own Grass-fed beef with confidence.

I believe that there are 5 Criteria for the best Grass-fed beef. They are as follows (in the order I would personally place them)

1. Genetics
2. Sex
3. Grass management
4. Butchering process
5. Quality assurance/Label

Genetics

Picture if you will an elephant and its equivalent weight in say mice. Which do you think will eat the most weight in food every day? Surprisingly it’s the mice. It’s a factor of their faster metabolism’ and higher intake relative to their body size.

What has that got to do with beef genetics? Perhaps not so much the metabolism but the size of the animals and their relative intake (% of their body weight they can consume). Modern breeds have big frames(skeleton) and they just can’t eat enough grass relative to their frame size.

The traditional breeds however with their large gut capacity typically can intake far more than is required to merely grow their relatively small frames. The result is energy dense meat. They are almost permanently fat at all stages of their development whereas the modern breeds on grass must grow their frame first then they can accumulate a fat cover that is acceptable for harvesting.

When I determined to go the direct to market route, I was all excited about my grass management that was going to make “all the difference”. I hadn’t even thought about the suitability of our genetics. Thankfully I have a butcher as a mentor and he picked the suitable animals from my herd, they were the traditional breeds. With the benefit of hindsight now I’m grateful as the modern breeds,

to my analysis cannot adequately fulfil the three things people are looking for in grass-fed beef!

Nutrient density, Environment/ Happy Animals, Trust

Modern breeds like Limousine and Charolais are a function of our modern world. That is, their breeding has been shaped by our reliance on Oil and the consequent abundance of cereals. These animals have, over time, evolved into bigger framed beasts than what natural forage could sustain. These breeds must then be finished in confinement on grain. This is against the Environmental (happy animal) pattern that the cow evolved with.

Without confinement and feeding of grain, modern cattle breeds will be too lean to harvest. That grain feeding would likely make any nutrient density claims moot. Even if the occasional animal does reach finishing condition on pasture, they are likely to be tough until they reach their genetic potential which could be 3years old+. This is well known in France where the preferred way to harvest a Charolais is, as a Cow, at 3-4+ years old. A well-known saying in the butchering world is that the modern cattle are world class at producing average beef, i.e., Quantity vs Quality.

So that’s straight forward then, the modern breeds aren’t used for grass-fed beef? Well, no, not according to the Irish grass-fed beef standard. There is no specificity on the breeds that can be used. The standard states that the animal must be a certain amount of days/year on grass and can’t get more than 10% of their nutrition from concentrates (cereal). Adhering to these rules means even modern breeds will reach the correct condition (fat cover) for harvesting but the averageness of the meat is still a factor. A customer paying a premium price might well feel, on discovering on the looseness of the Irish Grass-fed beef standard, that his Trust isn’t being met in good faith.

That’s my analysis of the role of genetics in giving people the 3 things they want from Grass-fed Beef!

Ill probably get slated for pointing out this to consumers but I believe that creating a “product” whose primary purpose is to facilitate producers is problematic! Give the people what they want. Explain the processes involved in creating it, the distinctions from the ordinary then let’s see where it goes!

I’m going to explore and explain how factors 2-5 make a difference to the quality of the product in my next post. Hopefully I can avoid controversy 😊

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Grass-fed Beef what’s it all about?

People are demanding higher standards for their food, specifically beef. If I had to summarize, I’d say they have 3 areas where they want improvements, Nutrient density, Environment/Animal welfare, Trust and transparency.

Most people going about their daily lives don’t really take time to consider the differences in how cattle are raised. Certainly, in Ireland the perception is that they’re all roaming around in a field to some degree or other. I’d say that’s mostly true, but the distinction makes all the difference.

Cattle are, after all, ruminant animals; they have Four stomachs and are designed to make their living on pasture which is an energy poor vegetation type which is otherwise inedible to anything else.

However, in man’s pursuance of profit Cattle are fed energy rich feeds like grain or soy to make them grow bigger faster. Removing these animals from their habitat has consequent impact on their meat as well as their environment both locally and globally.

The push back to this has been from individuals and families seeking out more natural and environmentally appropriate produce. Hence the emergence of Grass-fed Beef as a premium product that have educated consumers seeking it out.

So, what is it that these customers are looking for in Grass-fed Beef?

Nutrient Density

The research shows that there is a slightly lower fat content in Grass-fed compared to non Grass-fed However that fat is also contains much more omega3’s, specifically DHA’s. As well as phytonutrients such as Beta Carotene which is a precursor to vitamin A(Retinol)

DHA’s and Beta Carotene are vital to eye and heart health in fact the only meat with higher levels than Grass-fed beef is Marine life i.e., oily fish.

Grass-fed Beef even looks different from Grain-fed. The meat is more of a cherry colour, closer to venison than paler Grain fed meat. The Fat has a more yellow tinge to it. Its thought that phytonutrients from the grass are responsible for the colour differences. In general people seem to trust the arrangement of phytonutrients according to the pattern of nature is more reliable and worthy than that tinkered with by man.

So, if you’re serious about your diet your children’s diet you should be serious about your “preys” diet. To make sure it’s a s natural as possible.

Happy Animals/Environment

Some people take very seriously their responsibility for caring for those animals upon whom we depend for life. This, in a world of professional specialization, makes it wise to ensure that the paradigm that produces these animals adheres as close as is possible to their co-evolved habitat. Selecting Grass-fed Beef, by itself maybe not a cure-all, but is a very high leverage control point. One that ensures the most natural possible life for the Animal and therefore most likely give the greatest assurance that the animals live contented lives.

A little side bar(for my 13year old Daughter). I’m often asked how I can kill and eat cattle if I say I love them? Ok on the face of it I understand. However, the farmers relationship is with the herd and not the individual animal. The farmer is the one making the future for the Cows Kin. No farmer, no cow! (In fact, no customer no cow)

In addition to that, never have consumers been so conscious of the environment, both locally and globally.

Cattle grazing forage on pasture sequesters 8-10times the amount of carbon they emit through enteric digestions. Why because nature designed it that way. Among other mechanisms the pasture is full of methanotrophs (organisms that eat Methane)that depend on those cow burps. Its worth noting that Methanatrophs  don’t live on concrete where most cattle are finished.

To simplify it if you want more green grassy pastures in your environment you need to eat more animals that eat that grass on the pasture and the farmers will keep giving you what you want.

Market Forces and Trust.

Trust, is what you as a customer are being asked to do with every purchase. So how do you currently do Trust in a “scale environment” (supermarkets etc)? Labels and trademarks? That seems to be the way but is it the only way?  Is it even an adequate way for a consumer who wants to make important distinctions like;?

Nutrient density,

Environment/ Happy Animals

Trust

The best way is like the chef, know the producer. What does he stand for what are the distinctions he likes to make in his selections?

That’s what we offer at Fat of the land. We give you a link directly to the farm so you’ll know exactly what goes into producing your beef and just as importantly what are the environmental outputs, are the positive or negative.

I’ve described 5 factors I take into consideration in the production of my Grass-fed beef. I think they’re all pretty important and only one of them is included in the National Grass-fed Beef Standard” S

If you’d like to receive a copy of the 5 distinctions that make for the best Grass-fed beef sign up for our newsletter

->

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You guys are heroes!

Its a busy time here on the farm and thankfully deliveries too! So my social media output has been considerably lower these days!

I just wanted to remind you what your support me means and the impact it has here in YOUR environment!

Because I use regenerative farming methods our animals are the keystone species here. That means they are cycling carbon and trapping it in the soil , building soil fertility naturally and stimulating more biodiversity in our pastures. That’s win win win!

By choosing to eat from OUR herd you’re allowing me to perpetuate our herds genetics. Ecologically, the paradigm you are supporting is traditional cattle breeds raised on pasture instead of grain fed animals raised on concrete.

 

 

Ultimately the biggest aspect maybe you hadn’t thought about is the social environment.
How many GAA teams around the country have had generations of players supplied from factory farms and corporations?  Choosing meat from a local family farm keeps your community alive, gives all our kids a future.

So just…thanks!
Think about that!
You are making a difference! And your making a difference where it matters most where you and you’re children live!

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Its funny how the simple things in life can gain a meaning of their own.
When I picked the name for my website it was “oh yeah that’s cool” that was the depth of it at the time.I suppose as you go on nurturing a new venture with sweat and tears it gathers meaning. That said i think there might
be something in it that might strike a cord.As the saying goes “there’s nothing worth building if it doesn’t also build the man”.I have a suspicion that my own experience of that principle would be replicated among the leaders of the Regenerative agriculture community here in Ireland and would be worth showcasing!

For example, the journey of discovery into the links between soil biology and health benefits,

The realization you get to choreograph a dance of organisms accross a range of trophic levels and perhaps harness the power of more than one of them!

The realization that you’re the fringe on an enormous industry that in general gets defensive about the distinctions you bring to the market but you push on because its the right thing to do and even your “enemies” need you drive demand for quality.

And ultimately the reward and encouragement you get from customers who really get and appreciate what your doing and themselves have stories about what our food and farms means to them!

For all of the above (and because I’m not starting another website) I’m going to dedicate fatoftheland.ie to gathering insights  of regenerative farming practitioners and their customers.

I hope it can add value to the movement in the Irish context by showing real meaning captured in our food
Watch this space!

Regards.
The Murf

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As some of you may know my background apart from growing up on a farm is as a forester. I worked/ studied in the industry for about 20 years, both in Ireland and abroad. One thing that i was most proud of being involved in was helping Coillte adopt alternative silvicultural systems. (systems other that clearfell replant)

Now a few years of the perspective of a forest/farm owner I have a few different tools that I can use as a forest manager with a larger scope for thinking outside the box.

The farm and the forest are seen as being distinct. I believe this is a relatively recent fashion that stands at odds with nature itself.  Of course the timber men are rightly nervous of the effect of livestock on tree health but ecologically forests didn’t evolve with a string of barbed wire around them! Periodic disturbances both large and small were most certainly part of the life of a forest. However its only within the last few decades that we have the technology to control grazing with precision. (mobile electric fencing)

The first step in merging the farm and the forest for me was two years ago. I had a beautiful stand of Alder (5years old top height 6m), It had a lovely bit of grass in it but would the cattle damage the trees? I was nervous but I gambled that if the animals had enough forage in front of them they wouldn’t do any harm. I could pull them out if it wasn’t working. It worked out great! 3 grazings maybe .3AU’s acre in year one, (€65/acre est. value ) same maybe a little better last year. That utterly changes the financial outlook for an Alder plantation but more importantly it shows the principle of stacking ecologically compatible enterprises.

Another project on the cards for this year I have a about 2 acres of clearfelled (last year) pine. Instead of replanting immediately and having to spray for weevil and fight weeds I plan to engage the “ecological services” of a couple of pigs let them turn over the brash for me while growing some bacon. Plus they wont charge me €40/hr to do what they love doing. Savings; I can’t remember Re-for costs maybe €300/acre? (please comment if you know current machine costs)

Those are 2 examples in my small context. When you consider A. The shortage of land for young farmers B. The amount of never to be financially viable broadleaved or just isolated plantations . C The business model changing cashflow to a Forest operation, D. The badly needed Social kudos for forestry companies in certain parts of the country. E The Potential to address growing shortages of food.

The potential for well planned and executed agroforestry in Ireland and the UK is enormous! I nearly wish didn’t have a farm so I could get at it bigly!

Hopefully by accurately diagnosing problems and encouraging those moving in the right direction we all can enjoy the fat of the land while making our environment healthier and more resilient.

Regards

Murf

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Imagine Fionn MacCumhuail and the ancient Irish heroes and the landscapes they rode through. They were wild men that probably lived off the fat of the land! But Ireland as “the land of saints and scholars” couldn’t have been without agriculture to sustain settlements.

That doesn’t mean that we should just accept the status quo.

Ive read of ancient Romes descriptions of various agricultural systems and how they interacted with natural biotopes. The growth of monoculture (cereals) matched the growth of empire. However, the peripheries maintained mixed, labour intensive, polycultures which had built in resiliency.
If anyone has any info on old Irish land uses please send it on. Im fascinated how the biological world and the Cultural world have danced together to shape our heritage.

Of course we can’t go back but regerative ag is showing that if we can gain the deeper appreciation for the systems and processes of the land and the soil food web we can turn things around.

The Regenerative agriculture movement i think is the first real systematic step toward humans living in harmony with nature. Growing food while bettering the environment not just “sustaining”

Thats where you come in! What you do by choosing regeneratively produced grassfed food is to strenghten your local environment and yourself in so many ways!
Your vote with your hard earned money secures the best healthy food for your family. It also gets you more of what you support, helping the environment in a way you can verify, local food supporting your local community.

You are the agent of change! Please remember that! You are the person who knows the quality and ethic of the food you want for your family. That gives me
meaningful work, restoring the health of the environment by bringing you food derived from natural processes. You are literally eating the land healthy!

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Like most people I’m pretty sick of politics. The idea of voting for what you want is I think hijacked and given a diminished place of importance in creating the life and community you want.
Instead of believing the demagoguery of someone else going to “represent” you and interpret the “will of the people”. Realize that you have real power! In what you pay attention to, Where you put your money. Who you reward and who you encourage to do more.Let’s take two extremes. One farm produces 1000kg Charolais. The other 500kg Hereford. One does exceptionally well being housed and fed grain. The other does well roaming round a field and eating pasture and forage.
Lets simplify it down to  basic weight per foot pressure on the ground. We’ll look at the other factors some other time.
So basically the size of the animal is the first thing that separates the grain finished animal from nature. In order to gain finishing condition it must be housed and fed grains for 1. Energy conservation for the animal 2. Stop the big animals destroying the ground.

So the vote as it pertains to you. Will you encourage the Factory Feedlot that houses and feeds grains or will you support the herd that finishes on grass? (Family owned in vast majority)

I believe the biggest factor in asking for an receiving a meat product that supports your environment is. “Is this from a traditional breed” for example, Dexter, Hereford, Angus. I know its more complicated than that and I have some of both Breeds myself. however I think asking your butcher this one question does more than any label because these breeds do best on grass, it mightn’t guarantee that they haven’t been fed grain but at a systems level of thinking the system required to raise these animals requires the lowest amount of grains and artificial inputs and scale therefore limited. Consequently they support more small family farms than factory feedlots

That’s one way to be the hero in your community, ask for traditional breeds and know that you are eating GRASS converted solar energy!

The trick is don’t just rely on me or what I sell, ask your butcher for what you want, traditional breeds, and we can start to move the needle here from beef that “good enough” to beef that tastes beautiful and beef that does real good!
Talk again soon

The Murf

hit me up with your suggestions that the consumer could take to move the needle towards smaller producers

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Imagine Fionn MacCumhail and the ancient Irish heroes and the landscapes they rode through. They were wild men that lived off the fat of the land! But “the land of saints and scholars” couldn’t have been without agriculture to sustain settlements. The more we understand about ecology the more we can see how history played out the destruction or simplification of our environment.

I’ve read of ancient Romes descriptions of various agricultural systems and how they interacted with natural biotopes. The growth of monoculture (cereals) matched the growth of empire. However, the peripheries maintained mixed, labour intensive, polycultures which had built in resiliency.
If anyone has any info on old Irish land uses please send it on. I’m fascinated how the biological world and the Cultural world have danced together to shape our heritage.

Of course we can’t go back but regenerative ag is showing that if we can gain the deeper appreciation for the systems and processes of the land and the soil food web we can turn things around.

The Regenerative agriculture movement i think is the first real systematic step toward humans living in harmony with nature. Growing food while bettering the environment not just “sustaining”

By choosing regeneratively produced, grass-fed food is to strengthen your local environment and yourself in so many ways!
Your vote with your hard earned money secures the best healthy food for your family. It also gets you more of what you support, helping the environment in a way you can verify, local food supporting your local community.

You are the agent of change! Please remember that! You are the person who knows the quality and ethic of the food you want for your family. That gives me and people like me meaningful work, restoring the health of the environment by bringing you food derived from natural processes.

You are literally eating the land healthy!

https://res.cloudinary.com/wilderness-travel/image/upload/c_scale,dpr_auto,w_auto/f_auto,q_auto/v1/trips/europe/ireland/ireland-the-wild-atlantic-way/6-slide-ireland-derryclare-lough-connemara-mountains-reflection-pano

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My journey in fat of the land has been one of discovery, getting a glimpse of the trades and artisans that the venture depends on.
There’s a lot of work that goes into the breakdown of a beast and presenting them for customers! I estimate about 1.5 man days. Of course on a production line that would probably be reduced by half). However our purpose is to present top quality rather than quantity.

There’s a lot of heavy work, moving carcass pieces around. This is required to use the craftsmans time judiciously. Its such pleasure to watch them work!
The skill involved is really amazing to see!

First the butcher , in his chain mail suit, tackles the beef quarters. His blade glides efficiently across unseen seams to reveal ball joints and muscle groups.

In,  then down, then across, suddenly a hip bone appears. I was amazed! His purposeful cuts which seemed blind were in fact driven by knowledge and deep competence.
I don’t think there’s anything more compelling to witness than such competence! Probably because we yearn for it also. I think it was best expressed by Heinlin who listed everything a man should be able to do. Among them was to butcher an animal. His reasoning, because “specialisation is for insects.”

It is an unfortunate how todays world forces us into such specialisation. I think if we can’t do as Heinlin suggests we should at least we make sure we have those competencies in our close network.

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