On this Earth Day, I thought I would take a moment to highlight the real warriors for a healthier ag biz. Our friendly farmers and ranchers are doing the real work, one pasture, one animal, one incredibly long day at a time. Today, I celebrate the efforts of these men and women who are trying to change the way we enjoy meat, for the better.
Read MoreThe biggest bottleneck in the meat supply these days, is processing. That’s the word we use for slaughtering, portioning, and packaging meat. For 90% of the meat sold in the US, this is done in one of a handful of USDA-inspected facilities somewhere in Nebraska, Minnesota, or Iowa. The shortage isn’t a lack of farmers. There are plenty of cattle, pork, and chicken roaming the country.
Read MoreIt’s shocking how much baggage lamb has as a protein, especially in the United States. Sometimes I feel like I’m the official Lambassador in our shop, spouting to anyone who will listen, the virtues of our fantastic 100% grass-fed, antibiotic- and hormone-free Emigh Lamb. So here is a small attempt at dispelling a few of the worst myths about my favorite protein.
Read MoreIn the US, Lamb are typically born and raised in the fields on pasture and fodder for about six months. At that point, they’re shipped to a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) or “feedlot” that looks much like the Harris Ranch facility in Coalinga I wrote about last year. Animals are corralled in mud pins, sometimes with shade sometimes without, and “finished” for 30 to 45 days.
Read MoreWhat I love about farmers is that they’re just so damned practical. Just when I think I’ve got things figured out, and my dogma down, some farmer comes along and schools me in how logic, nature and, history can challenge all our assumptions.
Read MoreModern day grass-fed ranchers are not your run of the mill luddites resisting progress. Grass-fed beef is a tough business. Less than 5% of the market, it’s expensive to raise, complicated to manage, and hard to process. It would be a lot easier to raise cattle for nine months on the same pasture, and then sell them to a feedlot. But Seth has chosen a different path.
Read MoreThere are so many buzzwords when it comes to rating meat. “Pastured,” “free range,” “humane,” “organic.” It can feel overwhelming to the shopper, and more often than not, can be misleading. That’s why Electric City Butcher and our farmers tend to lean on certifying organizations like the Global Animal Partnership–also known as GAP—to help straighten things out.
Read MoreEighteen thousand acres of wetlands, native grasslands, old growth Oak forest, walnut groves, and ancient grain and bean fields are shaped by the meanderings of rivers, creeks, and undulating canals and levies that ripple through the property. This is Rancho Llano Seco. The ranch is so old, granted in 1841, that it was originally measured in leagues (four square leagues to be exact).
Read MoreNot only are stressed animals unhappy and unhealthy, but for decades we’ve known that an anxious animal ain’t any good to eat. And although we mention this phenomenon in every one of our bi-weekly butcher classes, I’ve never really explored why. It turns out the science behind this is quite literally an acid trip; but a pretty straight forward one. Temple Grandin is the godmother for humane animal husbandry, and wrote one of the most influential manuscripts on the importance of humane slaughter practices.
Read MoreEvery year, five fantastic chefs compete to make mind-blowing, multi-course meals, each using an entire heritage breed pig sourced from a local farm. “Cochon” is now in 13 cities across the country, culminating with a Grand Cochon Finale in Chicago each fall. All funds raised go to keeping heritage pigs around, and educating the public about their value to the world.
Read MoreThe feedlot became popular in the 1950s and 60s. With soaring beef demand, surplus subsidized grain, and cheap growth hormones and antibiotics, American ranchers turned away from the millennia-old habit of raising free-range cattle on open grassland, and instead replaced it with faster, more predictable, and more profitable mechanized feedlots. The concept caught on quickly.
Read MoreYet again, cattle are considered the top cause of environmental disaster. This time, it’s rain-forest destruction. And I have to admit, the data is terrifying. Referenced accounts suggest 50-75% of all clear-cutting in Brazil goes to grazing lands. Although deforestation levels are down overall, they spiked this last year, turning 3,000 square miles into mulch.
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