Grass-Fed? Grass-Completed? Pasture-Raised? What The?
The USDA, which oversees beef manufacturing within the US, says grass-fed means that “grass and forage shall be the feed supply consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal, excluding milk consumed previous to weaning. The eating regimen shall be derived solely from forage consisting of grass … Animals can’t be fed grain or grain byproducts and should have steady entry to pasture throughout the rising season.”
In different phrases, grass-fed cows can eat solely grass. All cows begin life consuming grass. Whereas farming practices differ, usually cows begin nursing, grazing, and dwelling in pasture for the primary six months or so of life. Then conventionally raised cattle are moved to feedlots for 3 to 4 months (typically extra) the place they’re fed grain, a extra economical approach of getting them to market.
There’s nonetheless appreciable variation between grass-fed beef although, even “grass-finished beef.” Seems the definition of “grass” varies. The most effective grass-fed beef tends to remain at pasture (ideally natural pasture that is not sprayed with pesticides), whereas the rather more widespread grass-fed beef you discover prepackaged at your native grocery store is shipped to feed tons and fed grass pellets. One of the simplest ways to get grass-fed beef that you understand comes from cows that really ate grass is to get to know your native ranchers and household farms. If you do not have native ranchers, that is the place this information is available in.