Diversity is King. Last of the No Corn/No Soy Chix. Store Closing Dates. Wing Sale.

It's been a wet week with more rain expected this afternoon and evening. While its no fun to be working out in the rain moving cows or chickens in a heavy downpour, it's definitely been a boon for our pasture growth and diversity these past few weeks. 

 

As I was moving the beef herd this morning during a break in the rain I marveled at how nice our pastures look now.  I took this photo of the pasture diversity in the new paddock as the beef were moving onto it. At quick glance I could see at least six different varieties of grasses growing, five species of legumes, and seven different forbs.  Some beef farmers consider many forbs to be “weeds”, but the cows will readily consume many of these “weeds” depending on their maturity, including chickory, plantain, burdock, dandelion, and even some thistles.  Research has shown that many forbs contain vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that cows need to balance out their nutritional requirements.

 

We value and manage for this biodiversity in plant species as it helps improve soil health, and new research also verifies what we already suspected…forage diversity is the key to increased nutrient density in the beef we raise and consume. A major study was published in The Journal of Animal Science in March of this year comparing the nutrient composition of over 300 samples of grass-finished and grain-finished beef from North American producers and retailers. 

 

No major surprises but just scientific validation for what we have known for years, Grass-fed beef had a MUCH lower omega-6:3 ratio (2.14 vs. 8.28, P < 0.001) and MUCH higher concentrations of the fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid (ALA; 0.99 vs. 0.27%), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 0.28 vs. 0.07%), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA; 0.41 vs. 0.17%), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA; 0.49 vs. 0.31%), and the minerals calcium (9.26 vs. 3.08 mg/100 g), copper (0.253 vs. 0.129 mg/100 g), iron (2.29 vs. 1.92 mg/100 g), and selenium (0.012 vs. 0.002 mg/100 g) compared with grain-fed beef (all P < 0.05).

 

However, considerable nutritional variation exists, particularly within grass-finished beef, with omega-6:3 ratios ranging from 0.62 to 11.45. Animals finished on biodiverse pastures exhibited fatty acid profiles characterized by higher omega-3 to total polyunsaturated FA content, resulting in a higher omega balance (r = 0.30, P = 0.02). However, some grass-fed samples, particularly several retail-purchased samples, displayed fatty acid compositions with relatively low omega-3 content, resulting in an omega balance similar to grain-fed beef.  Read the full research study here.

 

So, my takeaway from this research is that all grass-fed beef is not the same, and we should continue to manage for more diversity of forages in our own pastures. And that much of the “retail” beef labeled as grass-fed is probably not really grass-fed. The USDA does not regulate the grass-fed label and many unscrupulous providers and retailers are taking advantage of that. Know where your beef is coming from!

 

We processed our last batch of our pasture-raised, organic No Soy/No Corn broiler chickens for the year this past week, and we have fresh whole chickens available at the farm store this weekend.  And as we noted last week, we do sell the No Corn/No Soy chicken parts (breasts, thighs, wings) on our website but not in the farm store due to lack of freezer space. We did get a lot of online orders so I suspect that is news to many of our customers. 

 

As noted last week we will be closing the farm store early at 2 PM this Tuesday (September 22nd) to replace the asphalt drive in front of the store, and it will also be closed ALL DAY on Wednesday (September 23rd). When we reopen Thursday morning expect a lot of milk to be available for online purchases!

 

Our annual Fall Fest on the Farm is scheduled for Saturday, October 10th from 12 PM - 3 PM.  We will re-create the “hay mountain” which is always a big hit with the kids, and this year we will also planning for for some fun contests for kids of all ages that might include the egg toss, chicken rodeo, gunnysack race, hay bale toss, spoon egg race, tug of war, and the three-legged race. And of course hay wagon tours of the farm to see the cows, chickens, pigs, and turkeys in their pasture settings.

 

As usual the main attraction will be the street tacos from the Jarabe Taco Truck. They will be coming out from Chicago to serve up their Carne Asada, Beef Birria, Chicken Tinga, Al Pastor and Mojo Mushroom tacos. Made with our own grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork and chicken. Side dishes will include chips and salsa, roasted tomato rice, refried black beans, and guacamole. All you can eat including bottled water and flavored sparkling water will be provided.

 

We now have tickets available, reserve your space now before they sell out. $30 for adults, $20 for kids 5 - 12, $15 for little tykes that don't eat much.