You Are What You Eat
I have raved about the book, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon in a previous article called “A Review of Nourishing Traditions.” In the book, the author shares an unbelievable amount of research about the benefits of eating like our ancestors did. She encourages us to soak our grains, lacto-ferment our produce, and eat grass fed products.
Another book on the subject of grass fed products is Pasture Perfect by Jo Robinson. She discusses not only the research behind the reasons to eat grass fed meat, pasture raised eggs, etc, but she also gives you practical advise for finding the products. Ms. Robinson runs a website called Eat Wild, in which she shares the latest research findings and most importantly a directory of ranches dedicated to providing the public with grass fed products. As this is a national directory, anyone from any state in the United States should be able to find a place.
The interest in grass fed products spreads much farther than the United States. South America, Australia, and Europe, to name a few, are finding ways to raise and/or acquire grass fed products. It is becoming the new catch word in the health food community. Well-known doctors, Dr. Colbert and Dr. Mercola have both backed the findings in research supporting the need to eat grass fed products. Dr. Mercola wrote, “Beef, in its natural grass-fed state, is a health food of the highest order.”
One of the reasons that I love to homestead is so I know from where our food came. I know that our produce is organic. I know that our chickens range freely on our place. I know what our goats eat and how the raw milk is handled. I have confidence in what we eat/drink.
I think that you need confidence in where your food is coming from too. You are paying premium money for a healthier and better product, and you want to make sure you are getting your food from a reputable place. Someone recently told me that feedlots are beginning to sell “grass fed beef.” If you are like me, that statement strikes you as a contradiction. From what I understand, they are only feeding the cows hay and water, which technically is grass fed. Personally I would not want to pay more for this beef. They seem to be missing the point.
Grass fed meat in the highest state is raised naturally. This means the animals are raised on pastures with rich, tall grasses. Pasture rotation is key to keep the animals healthy as well as the meat flavorful and nutritious. The meat is free of antibiotics, steroids, hormones, etc.
How do I know this? I have raised my own food for years. Recently I encouraged my father to convert from his traditional ranching practices to producing grass fed beef. He agreed and turned over the venture to me. Through much research, I came up with a plan along with my father, my step-mom, and my husband. We launched our grass fed business.
Cross Creek Cattle Company supplies families in addition to ours with grass fed beef. Some are extended family, some are friends, and some were complete strangers until we met. My job with the ranch keeps me busy. I field phone calls and emails daily. Sometimes the emails come from as far away as Japan and Australia. Therefore, I know the desire is growing globally to find grass fed products.
We obviously cannot provide grass fed beef for the entire world. I am not writing this article to shamelessly plug our business. However, I believe the health benefits are real. I believe that this is not a fad; I think it is a movement to get back to our roots. There is great desire to get away from the industrialization and modernization of our foods. Slow foods or living foods are what people are wanting.
In a future article, I will share some of the benefits of consuming grass fed products. Do your own research, too. There is a plethora of information available. Decide if it is right for your family. Either raise your own like we do or find local sources for them. If at all possible, visit the ranch and/or farm. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. After all, you are what you eat. So make sure you can be confident in the quality of your food.
