Grass fed beef

[warlock]

Do you guys know any reliable supplier?

[tiramisu]

Where are you located?

[Memo]

http://www.ranchqualitydirect.com/

[Thorgrim]

Hey Warlock, where abouts do you live?

I'm thinking about getting into the grass fed beef business myself, I'm by Edmonton. I have been getting lots of interest from people I know and have access to plenty of land so it is probably a go, just need to finalize a few details. Won't be able to supply until the fall though.

[tiramisu]

I'm buying a shared half (split the cuts of a half), cut for 3.95 a pound. Carcass yield is about 60% and a half is about 300 pounds so yield is about 200.

So basically 4*150 = 600 for 100 pounds of cut meat or $6/pound for grassfed, hormone free.

[BAM]

Man, someone gave me some organic beef once and it was so tough I bet a couple of pitbulls would have given up on it.

[champion99]

I will be going that route this year,I can pick up a side for about 900$

[O-Train]

I'm buying a shared half (split the cuts of a half), cut for 3.95 a pound. Carcass yield is about 60% and a half is about 300 pounds so yield is about 200.

So basically 4*150 = 600 for 100 pounds of cut meat or $6/pound for grassfed, hormone free.

http://www.whisperingmeadows.ca/order-side-natural-beef.shtml

???

[waderow]

just remember its not all steak, and its not the same quality of a-typical store bought beef.

[theboss]

interesting..i was considering this too

[Delt King]

Wow you guys must have one big ass chest freezers. lol

But seriously, are you worried about extra hormones or something from the beef?

[champion99]

Full Side of Beef Contents

DescriptionDescriptionRib Steak Chuck Steak Sirloin Steak Chuck Roast Rib Roas tSirloin Roast T' Bone Steak Short Ribs Rump/Baron Roast Lean Ground Beef Round Steak Stew Beef Minute Steak Soup bones Cross Rib Roast Liver

[champion99]

some farms out here in the lowermainland sell grass feed beef ....no hormones or corn feed

[Thorgrim]

Wow you guys must have one big ass chest freezers. lol

But seriously, are you worried about extra hormones or something from the beef?

Not just the hormones but also the extra toxins that are found in normal supermarket beef. If a pig at an industrial pig farm dies before it is ready for slaughter from some disease or even cancer they can't feed it to humans but they will use it to make a protein supplement to add to the feed they give to cows in a feed lot. The toxins from the dead and unhealthy animals become concentrated into the crappy supermarket beef and then you eat it. They even used to feed dead cows to other cows until all the problems with Mad Cow Disease. I've also heard they will sometimes feed the cows chicken shit, no lie. Then because of all the crappy feed they have to put anti-biotics into the feed to keep the animals from getting sick.

The other big reason is the lipid profile and fat content of grass-fed vs. grain/corn finished beef. For one grass fed animals tend to be very lean, around 8% body fat compared to 25% body fat. So eating grass fed is more like eating bison or wild meat. Also grains are not naturally a large part of a cows diet. Their body's are built to process grass and this is what they are most healthy eating. When fed grains it makes a cows body much more acidic and changes the fat profile so there is almost no omega-3 fats, this is why most people eating a modern diet are deficient in omega-3's. Grass fed beef has a lipid profile similar to salmon. If you include a significant amount of grass fed beef into your diet there is really no reason to use an omega-3 supplement. Grass fed beef also has about 5 times the CLA as regular beef.

So why do farmers feed their cattle grains? It is about money. Most conventional farmers don't sell directly to the consumer and sell their cattle at whatever prices the wholesale market has set. They usually don't get paid that much and the price is set by the pound of live weight. So if feeding their cattle grains can make them pack on an extra 200 lbs before they sell then that is what they are going to do. Your health is not a factor in their decision to feed grains.

I raised my own beef last year and slaughtered in the fall. The butcher aged the meat for me and it is very tasty and tender. If you have had very tough grass fed beef it may have been an older animal and not aged. Also remember that some cuts aren't going to be as juicy because the grass fed beef are much leaner and don't have the marbled fat in their muscle like much of the supermarket stuff. On the plus side my regular ground beef is as lean or leaner then ground sirloin from the store. There is never any fat to drain.

[champion99]

watch the video "FOOD INC" some VERY good information in that video about this topic

[ironwill]

just remember its not all steak, and its not the same quality of a-typical store bought beef.

No its better mostly......:cflag

this is where i get mine.....

http://www.natural-beef.net/beef-pricing.html

[tiramisu]

... duh ble post

[GYMBRAT]

[QUOTE=ironwill;344541]No its better mostly......:cflag

x2...much better!

sure happy I get mine free still bwaaaahahaaaa :cflag

[tiramisu]

Here's an example of the cuts you get from a 300 pound half....

http://www.countryquarters.com/grass_fed.html

2 Sirloin tip roasts


7.0

7 Sirloin steaks


6.25

4 Tenderloin medallions


1.25

7 T bone steak


10.3

10 Round steaks


11.75

4 Eye of Round steaks


2.3

2 Rump roasts


6.0

10 Chuck steaks


16.25

2 Pot roasts


5.0

8 Cross-rib steaks


9.25

2 Prime Rib roasts


6.25

4 Rib steaks


3.25

1 Brisket roast


2.5

1/2 ribs for short ribs


5.0

Stew Meat (minimal)


6.0

Hamburger
(incl. 4 lb short ribs)


37.5

Soup bones


23.5

Waste


29.5 15 %

Total


189.85

[baza]

Most places here in MB feed grass, but often finish off with grain I think because of the weather. And they said the grain is organic. You think this is close enough to grass fed?

[nisser]

lol you guys overthink this shit too much.

Just eat and you'll grow. You're probably dying more from a million other things around you.

[baza]

lol you guys overthink this shit too much.

Just eat and you'll grow. You're probably dying more from a million other things around you.

If you took five minutes to educate yourself, you'd know what everyone was talking about.

[warlock]

I live in Toronto, a buddy of mine gets but too expensive.

[tiramisu]

lol you guys overthink this shit too much.

Just eat and you'll grow. You're probably dying more from a million other things around you.

This isn't so much a bodybuilding topic as a general nutrition and food quality topic.

Grass fed beef is going to be higher in omega 3's than grain fed or grain finished. Truthfully though this isn't by some amazing amount and omega 3 supplementation with fish oil could cover the gap.

However, if you do a little reading on how cow's are raised and processed for food you will find that things can get a little ugly. I don't think Canadian meat processing is as bad as the U.S. but you have no idea where your meat is coming from or whether the animal was sick, old or abused. You don't know what has been injected into the beef (mmm tren, syno, gh, antibiotics) . You don't have any control over the multiple 1000's of miles it travels in freezer trucks or storage, unlesss you are in Alberta of course. You can't do anything about the grocers bulking the meat up with salt water and dyes.

If I have a choice, and I do, I prefer a young cow, grass fed, locally slaughtered, and dry hung. I know it's going to be tender and tasty. I also know that it hasn't been frozen and thawed, dyed or injected with water. I also know that there's no antibiotics or gh involved. The guy even gives a money back guarantee. "You don't like the meat, I'll give you your money back."

I could even get a picture of bessy to place on the kitchen table but my wife might never eat beef again so I won't.

I have similar feelings about my bison, elk, chicken, eggs and produce in season. Local produce in season has so much more nutrients than weeks old trucked in from mexico greens. Did I mention it tastes amazing. The farm raised chickens are so much better tasting than the factory chickens that it's not even the same bird (now if only i could get just breasts in diet season)

... none of this has much to do with how muscle you can put on your body other than eating significantly healthier food is generally better for you and the food tastes twice as good as the shit they sell at safeway.

... and when I shop local producer's I can generally get a better price than retail and lower my food bill.

I also prefer giving my money to local producers and farmers directly. I like having a relationship with the person providing my food.

[tiramisu]

Most places here in MB feed grass, but often finish off with grain I think because of the weather. And they said the grain is organic. You think this is close enough to grass fed?

Grain finished does affect the omega 3/6 ratios pretty quickly so isn't optimal from that perspective. Based on this fact I'd also guess that the meat would taste a little different than grass finished (less gamey) but this is a guess.

Barbeque up one of each and have a taste. I think flavour will have more to do with the dry aging time. I'm not expert in this but dry aging intensifies the flavour in the meat and it tenderizes it as well. Because you lose a significant amount of moisture hanging the meat, grocery meat generally isn't dry hung (cheap bastards).

I don't know how you like your meat. I have to be conscious of my wife who likes overcooked bland meat (obviously I like mine bloody and flavourful). To me this means I want mine dry hung but not too long.

[Talo]

Grain finished does affect the omega 3/6 ratios pretty quickly so isn't optimal from that perspective

Something like 1:20 I've been told.

My uncle raises cows and does grass feed , but finished them off with barley I believe. Something to do with burning the fat off them.

[ab_chic25]

I know when mom and dad got meat from the local Hud's, it was much better then the store stuff.

In fact one way to see the difference, is buy a store frozen chicken and get a farm chicken. Put both in water and see what one floats and what one sinks. If I am able to get a small sized freezer I would so by farm meat all the time.

[ironwill]

Most places here in MB feed grass, but often finish off with grain I think because of the weather. And they said the grain is organic. You think this is close enough to grass fed?

No, after 2 months of grain all of the omega 3s are lost and the fat quality changes......

[countrychic]

I know when mom and dad got meat from the local Hud's, it was much better then the store stuff.

In fact one way to see the difference, is buy a store frozen chicken and get a farm chicken. Put both in water and see what one floats and what one sinks. If I am able to get a small sized freezer I would so by farm meat all the time.

be careful bc some hud's feed there chickens supplements to make them grow faster.....

[baza]

Grain finished does affect the omega 3/6 ratios pretty quickly so isn't optimal from that perspective. Based on this fact I'd also guess that the meat would taste a little different than grass finished (less gamey) but this is a guess.


No, after 2 months of grain all of the omega 3s are lost and the fat quality changes......

Damn, that's depressing. The two places I found that seem good both finish off with grain because of the weather here.

[powder925]

Grain finished does affect the omega 3/6 ratios pretty quickly so isn't optimal from that perspective. Based on this fact I'd also guess that the meat would taste a little different than grass finished (less gamey) but this is a guess.


grass feed definitely has a more gamey taste to it....I bought a side last yr and i couldn't stand the taste and smell of it unless i marinated the shit out of it or cooked it in the slow cooker.......ended up feeding most of it to the dogs

[warlock]

I just got 25lbs delivered at my home for $100.

[TT Eric]

From where ??

Looking for a good place near Ottawa!

Eric

[Praetorian]

Something like 1:20 I've been told.

My uncle raises cows and does grass feed , but finished them off with barley I believe. Something to do with burning the fat off them.

This is common in the cattle industry...fattens them up quick which equates to higher profits but the meat loses its rich yields of omega 3, CLA etc.
P

Quote from John Meadows below:


#1 The best food comes from animals that have been fed their natural diet

Remember the old saying you are what you eat? It's not true! You are what you eat has eaten!!! Here is a sample of a few of the mainstays in this diet and a little about why.
Grass Fed Beef - This type of beef is from cows that have been fed their normal diet consisting of grass. The only exception would be in winter where hay, root vegetables, and silage are ok. Cows are termed ruminant animals, and have a really cool chamber in their stomach called a Rumen. Think of it as a big fermentation vat. This chamber is one of 4 chambers in the stomach, that turns grass into high quality protein, and ensures a great Omega 3 to 6 ratio. This is all dependent on the PH of the rumen.

I cannot recommend "normal" store bought grain fed beef as these cows have been fed grain, and grain feeding depletes all of the things in the fat that make it healthy and magical - namely a perfect balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fats, and CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid). The unhealthy Omega 3 to 6 ratio that is heavily skewed toward Omega 6 is very inflammatory to your body, and is thought to increase chances of heart disease and overall bodily inflammation. The PH of the rumen is heavily affected by grain, greatly increasing acidity, thus completely throwing off Omega 3, CLA, and other levels.

In case you are wondering what exactly happens to the cow fed their unnatural diet, eatwild.com states "when fed an unnatural diet of grain, acidosis can result and lead to a condition called "rumenitis," which is an inflammation of the wall of the rumen. Rumenitis then leads to liver abscesses as the rumen wall becomes ulcerated, bacteria are able to pass through the walls and enter the bloodstream. Ultimately, the bacteria are transported to the liver where they cause abscesses. From 15 to 30 percent of feedlot cattle have liver abscesses, hence the need for antibiotics and such." Not pretty.

Going back to Omega-3s, they are most abundant in seafood, but they are also found in animals raised on pasture, usually there is anywhere from 2-6 times more Omega 3's in grass fed meats. The reason is simple. Omega-3s are formed in the chloroplasts of green leaves and algae. It's interesting to me that sixty percent of the fatty acids in grass are actually omega-3s. Some of the more hard-core farmers I have spent time and talked to believe in basically eating nothing but grass fed beef and vegetables due to the fact that you can source all your nutrients from the chloroplast in the leaf. For ultimate longevity, maybe they are right??

I have been asked about cows that have been "finished" on grain. When cattle are taken off omega-3 rich grass and shipped to a feedlot to be fattened on omega-3 poor grain, they begin losing their store of this beneficial fat as one would suspect. Each day that an animal spends in the feedlot, its supply of omega-3 is diminished. There are some great graphical representations and more detailed info on this process on the very informative website eatwild.com that I referenced above.

[TT Eric]

I've found this place near me (Ottawa), I've ask them if they were finishing them off barley or something like that, they told me they me they are not receiving any grain at all. So I'm gonna give it a try!

http://www.totallynaturalbeef.ca/

Eric

[TT Eric]

Was wondering if anyone have an idea of how much Omega 3 there is per 100g in grass-fed beef!?

And I know it vary from one cow to another, but how much fat and protein per 100g in average are you calculating for your macro ? For now I'm going with 30g pro and 8-10g fat per 100g, but this is a guesstimate.

Eric

[Praetorian]

Grass-fed beef is naturally leaner than grain-fed beef.

Omega 3s in beef that feed on grass is 7% of the total fat content, compared to 1% in grain-only fed beef.

Grass-fed beef has the recommended ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats (3:1.)

P

[TT Eric]

Ok thanks! 7x more is very good!

It is a good assessments to say grass fed beef is about 8-10% fat and 30% protein (depending of the parts and cows) ?

Eric