How We Raise our Cattle

On our farm we have  a closed herd of cattle meaning we raise our own calves and grow them to market weight (approx two and one half years).We generally have approximately 20 breeding cows, giving us a total herd of approximatley 80 cattle plus our one bull, Malcom.

During the growing season (May-Nov) the cattle are rotationally grazed on pasture.  This means that the cattle are given a block of pasture (a few acres) that they graze on, once that is grazed off (every few days) they are moved ahead onto the next piece of pasture.  This constant moving onto new pasture helps eliminate parasites (they do not eat again where they have manured) and helps to make more efficient use of the pasture ground.

In the winter (Dec-Apr) the cattle are loose housed in open,  well ventialted, natural lit barns, where they are protected from the elements.  During this time they are fed  dry hay and haylage (fermented grass).

Our herd is predominantly Lincoln Red, an old Englishbreed that finishes well on grass only and is very gentle and docile.

Order our beef through one of our meat packages or let us know if there are specific cuts you would like.

 What is Grass Fed Beef?

Grass fed beef is beef that comes from cattle that have only been raised on a diet of grass, including hay (dry grass) and silage (fermented grass).

Why Grass Feed?

Cattle are ruminants and are made for eating a high-fibre, forage-based diet. This is their natural diet. In our opinion the further you stray from “nature” the further you stray from health. When cattle are fed high grain, corn and soya diets, they do grow much faster, lowering the cost of the beef produced however there are many other resulting negative consequences. These negative consequences can all be eliminated by feeding cattle their natural diet – grass.

What are the health benefits of grass fed beef?

Grass fed beef has been shown to be a much healthier meat than beef that is raised in grain-based, feedlot conditions. Grass fed beef contains less total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and calories and has a greater omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, similar to that found in fish. It contains higher levels of vitamins and minerals and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). A great resource to learn more about the health benefits of grass fed meat is www.eatwild.com (take a look at Grass Fed Basics and Health Benefits).

Another significant health benefit of grass fed beef is that it minimizes the presence of the acid-tolerant mutated E-coli strain. Grain fed cattle have a higher stomach acidity from their grain diet, this promotes the presence of e-coli. 

Are antibiotics used? 

Because our cattle spend their entire lives on our farm, in a low stress environment, they generally remain healthy. We do not vaccinate our cattle or use any antibiotics. If the need arises we will use homeopathic remedies to aid the animal in returning to health. 

Does grass fed beef taste different?

Yes, grass fed beef tastes different than feedlot beef. Many of our more mature customers say that it tastes the way beef “used to taste”. We think it tastes the way beef should taste, delicious!