At Grassburger, we get a lot of questions about our beef, and rightly so! Our brand is built on the premise of 100% USA grass-fed beef. A rarity, it seems, these days. Up to 75% of the grass-fed beef sold in the USA is actually imported from overseas. This is a sad result of a good thing, which is consumers seeking healthier, more sustainable meat options!
In an industry where fast to market cattle has become the standard, Grassburger is proud of the grass-fed program we source from. It has integrity and is based on the premise that cattle should live a healthy life on pasture only. No fattening programs, no antibiotics, no hormones needed, as no undigestible matter (non-grass sources) are part of their life. Our cattle, sourced through Springerhill Ranch, graze and live in our region and are at the end of their lives when they go to harvest. We use the entire animal–there are no cuts and no waste.
Let’s look at where the USA has gone over the past 70 years in the beef industry.
For the sake of efficiency and profit, America has moved to fattening cattle fast. This is done primarily by introducing foods that they cannot digest. These foods, which include commodity crops of corn and soy, as well as various factory byproducts from industry waste, are undigestible for ruminants. As such, they gain weight and get sick quickly. Hormones also help them gain weight and antibiotics are needed to combat the resulting infections.
This system, while bringing meat to the market quickly, has resulted in sick animals who live an unnaturally quick and unhealthy life. It has also created environmental issues due to confined animal feed lots where methane and runoff of antibiotic waste is amplified. It’s no wonder that veganism and vegetarianism have become synonymous with doing better for our planet, animals, and humans. The way our cattle system has evolved–this is not surprising!
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Beef, raised well and ethically, is nutritionally dense and healthy. As a clean protein source, it is hard to duplicate. It is especially important for growing children and for people in developing countries who struggle with malnutrition. But clearly, when it comes to the health of the animals, the sustainability of our planet, and the ethics of raising livestock, we can do better.
At Grassburger, we ARE doing better! Grassburger supports a system that is the change we believe we need. There are many ranchers, locally, regionally, and nationally, who are part of this change. Regenerative and 100% grass-fed American ranchers committed to raising cattle that are part of the solution, not the problem.
Where you spend your money matters. You can buy direct from these ranchers, through cooperatives, meat subscriptions, or even your local grocers. Yes, dear readers . . . this is a call to action!
Let’s help heal this planet, our livestock, and ourselves!
Want to learn more?
Organizations
American Grassfed Association
Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance
Savory Institute
Quivira Coalition
Holistic Management International
Meat Subscriptions
Documentaries
Common Ground
Farmer’s Footprint
Sacred Cow
Roots So Deep
Books
Dirt to Soil
Sacred Cow
Pasture Perfect
