Grass-fed beef is exactly what nature intended. Cattle that are fed grass, and are pasture raised, lead happier and healthier lives. This translates into superior beef for you and your family. Most cattle in the United States are not grass-fed beef, but are instead confined in a feed lot, and fed grain. Our grass-fed beef is raised on local pastures near Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington.

Grain Fed Meat is not as healthy

When animals are grain-finished or grain-fed, not only do they become more fatty animals, but their blood chemistry changes and their meat becomes less nutritious.

In our opinion, much of the bad rap that red meat has is due largely to the unhealthy, but common practice of grain feeding animals. In some situations, animals are not only grain-fed, but are "feed lot" cattle- being raised in close quarters without a chance to roam in the manner they were intended to. This is not only sad for the animal, but is also unhealthy for the consumer. Grain fed meat has more cholesterol, less nutrients, and less Omega-3's in the meat.

When you purchase meat from the grocery, the USDA has a grading system for valuing meat. Grade A includes lots of white marbling throughout the meat and a nice thick slab of white fat on the outside of various cuts. The pure whiteness of the fat is due to the lack of nutrients and pure cholesterol in the animal. In a nutshell, grain-fed animals are just like you, when you eat lots of refined food. If you were to eat a diet largely made of doughnuts for instance, you would become more fat and your body would increase your production of cholesterol. When the animal eats grain it is getting concentrated carbohydrates that the animal is not naturally made to eat, often even laden with extra molasses in order to cause the animal to put on extra weight at the end so that the meat has that supposedly desirable marbling and so that the rancher gets more money for his animal, because the animal weighs more at slaughter. Unfortunately, most of the added weight is unsaturated fat.

Grain Fed = Antibiotic Use

When an animal is grain fed, they become susceptible to more infections and the use of antibiotics becomes common place. In feedlots, antibiotics are often used just to prevent infections. We don't use antibiotics, although we would to save the life of an animal. But because our cattle live in a natural environment, we don't have to use antibiotics or growth hormones.

The alternative is simple: switch to Basket Flat Ranch natural grass-fed beef. Eat our natural, grass-fed beef and we guarantee you will feel the difference.

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Here is a brief summary of the benefits of grass-fed beef:

Benefits to Your Health

1. Grass Fed beef is lower in fat, calories and cholestorol.
2. Grass Fed beef is higher in beta carotene, vitamin E, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega 3 fatty acids (research shows these nutrients are important to reducing cancer, cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease).
3. hormone and antibiotic free.

Benefits to the Environment

1. Buying direct from the rancher uses less fuel.
2. Pasture land reduces soil erosion and improves air and water quality.
3. Pasture land provides habitat and forage for local wildlife.
4. Pasture land reduces greenhouse gasses.

Benefits to the Cattle

1. Cows are raised as nature intended with fresh grass, air and water.
2. Cows are raised in a low strees environment and humanely treated.
3. Cows are healthy, peaceful and all natural.

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Grass-fed beef articles from www.eatwild.com

• Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Products
• Grassfarming Benefits the Environment
• Grass-Fed Products are Clean and Safe

Grass-fed beef articles by Jo Robinson

• Grass-Fed Basics
• What You Need to Know About The Beef You Eat
• Confused About Fat? Choose Grassfed!
• Why Grassfed is Better than Organic

Grass-fed beef in the media:

• Food, Inc.
• The Grass-Fed Revolution
• How Grass-fed Cows Could Save The Planet

You Be the Judge