Category Archive

YES. 100% grass-fed, in a free roaming non-confined environment. From grass-fed 101: There is currently no USDA-standardized definition of grass fed. This makes the term grass-fed misleading, as many producers use the term grass-fed but forget to tell you that their animals have been “finished”. Finishing is a process of fattening the animal for the last 90 to 160 days on an un-natural diet of corn, grains and “other”. What is “other” you ask? My father’s last job was for a small feed-lot operator in North Dakota. During a visit, he gave and me and Dan a tour. It was my first time on a feed-lot, and even though it was small by factory feed-lots, it was still awful. I could see that my father felt similarly by the look in his eyes. Our last stop on the property was the feed storage area. At our feet were piles of silage. Not a silage of chopped up corn and hay, but an other type of silage consisting of French fries, potato ole’s, hamburger buns, chewing gum still in the foil wrapper, (I guess no one was willing to peel the wrappers off for the cows), and other discarded fast food items. Our disgusted silence was soon interrupted by a tractor. The driver lowered the bucket on his front end loader, scooped up a big shovel full and then moved off to feed the cows. So even if you are trying to avoid fast food, you could very well be eating it anyway. Excerpt from Michael Pollans’, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Grain finishing became the industry standard, because it enabled animals to fatten and mature earlier, thus making it much cheaper to “finish” them to a desired weight, and because of the changes that grain feeding causes in the tissues, the meat from almost any animal can be made tender through grain finishing. That, combined with the powerful corn industry in this country, and its overproduction, created the industrialized feedlot model that feeds most Americans today. Fact; according to the NBA in 2008, 92% of all bison raised are finished in the cattle fed-lot model.

YES. We really are the home where the buffalo roam. Often the practice of free range is far from what most of us would understand free range to be. Defined: Free range meat production involves providing open air access to animals instead of confining them to barns. They should be free to roam in open fields along with other animals and should receive natural light. Open pasture access (for at least 120 days in a year) is an important criterion for organic meat production. However, you should note that free range meat is not organic meat. Other than the producer’s word, the term free range does not have any reassurances.  Also, it does not clarify where the animals spend their remaining 245 days.

YES. Based on our practices we would be considered organic.  Is our meat certified Organic? No, (but, more on that in just a minute). The information on Organic is overwhelming, and with the modifications made over time it becomes somewhat contradictory. Here are a few clips to help explain: From the USDA web-site: USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) definition, April 1995 “Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. “‘Organic’ is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole. “Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water. “Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.” WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2008 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture will publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register on Oct. 24 that proposes to amend the National Organic Program (NOP) livestock standards to clarify the role pasture plays in the production of organic ruminants. Highlights of the proposed rule include: *A definition of “growing season,” and the requirement that all animals over the age of six months must be on pasture throughout the growing season. *Animals must receive 30 percent of their dry matter intake (DMI) from pasture. *A definition of “temporary confinement,” and clarification of periods of temporary confinement. *A pasture practice standard that addresses the management of pasture as a crop. From Wikipedia: Since the organic food movement has been increasingly industrialized and often forced to undergo processes similar to those of conventional agriculture (such as monoculture plantings on massive scales)due to market pressures, many members of the what was originally the organic food movement are demanding that new standards be established for sustainable organic foods. Many ardent supporters of organic foods are frustrated that the integrity of what constitutes “organic” foods and farming methods have been compromised by FDA legislation that allows for synthetics to be introduced into organic processed foods and other unsustainable industrial attributes associated with “organic” foods.[ From grass-fed 101: While some grass fed is organic, not all organic or natural meat is grass fed or finished. Many of the organic and natural products are grain fed, in confined feedlots; it’s just that the grain that is fed is certified organic or natural. The demand for organic foods has produced many industrialized organic farms, most of which do not practice the original sustainability practices of organic. Although organic is not the silver bullet, it’s a good start. Our local grocery store just put in an organic section; it is filled with organic pop-tarts, cookies and TV dinners. As stated earlier, we are not certified organic; however we follow all of the sustainable organic guidelines and then some.

YES. The term “natural” is loosely used. By definition natural is; Food that does not contain any additives, such as preservatives or artificial coloring. There is no formal Food and Drug Administration definition of natural for food-labeling purposes. So, unless you were to purchase processed foods, most all unprocessed foods could be labeled “natural“, including those with antibiotic, hormones and pesticides.