Profit With A Grass Fed Beef Farm
Small farms have been vanishing across America as competition from huge agricultural concerns makes it hard for the little guy to make a living. However, there are ways for savvy owners to make a respectable income. Running a grass fed beef farm is one proven way to get ahead.
The production of pastured meats is one example of innovative thinking that makes the ranch owner both producer and marketing agent. Producing a boutique product and gaining a secure market raises the small farmer above the competition. Giant factory farms and feedlots have squeezed small farms and ranches for years, but today direct marketing of higher-quality food has liberated family operations.
As a product that both research and marketing has convinced people is healthier, grass-fed beef can command a higher price. Many consumers feel that cattle raised in a natural way - on pasture - will give higher-quality meat. They also prefer free-range eggs and organic produce. Consider the popularity of Farmers' Markets across the nation, and you will see the market niche these rural businessmen have found.
Science is on the side of more natural ways of raising animals and other foods. Most people believe local produce, especially if it is grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, is healthier than fruits and vegetables that may have been shipped across the country and that may contain chemical residues.
Research has shown that meat from animals fed only on grasses, with no grain at any stage of their life, has a rich supply of essential fatty acids not found in conventional meats. The direct marketing of meat and produce, from farmers to consumers, means that foods should be fresh, should never have been subjected to radiation or chemicals that are used to retard spoilage, and should still provide vitamins that can be lost during a lengthy stay in cold storage.
A farmer with pastureland can expend energy once devoted to the laborious and expensive growing of grain to improving his green fields. The cost of raising cattle on pasture is much less than that of raising them in confinement or finishing (fattening) them with grain. Since grasses and legumes like clover and alfalfa improve the soil rather than robbing it of nutrients as corn does, the fertility of the land is protected and chemical fertilizer use can be reduced or eliminated.
Feedlots are known to be unhealthy places for cattle. Many feel that the unnatural crowding of animals and the deprivation of their natural food (grass) is inhumane. It's a system that makes money for the owners, but the quality of the meat produced is adversely affected. Ranchers that produce a free-range and naturally-grown animal need to raise awareness of the superiority of their meat.
Of course, some grass fed beef farms have gone national. One Colorado family markets its meat to several national grocery chains. Many gourmet restaurants now feature this premium meat on the menu. And another thing to consider: if you have a farmer like this in your area, you might be able to buy direct, taking the meat from the farm straight to your freezer.
The production of pastured meats is one example of innovative thinking that makes the ranch owner both producer and marketing agent. Producing a boutique product and gaining a secure market raises the small farmer above the competition. Giant factory farms and feedlots have squeezed small farms and ranches for years, but today direct marketing of higher-quality food has liberated family operations.
As a product that both research and marketing has convinced people is healthier, grass-fed beef can command a higher price. Many consumers feel that cattle raised in a natural way - on pasture - will give higher-quality meat. They also prefer free-range eggs and organic produce. Consider the popularity of Farmers' Markets across the nation, and you will see the market niche these rural businessmen have found.
Science is on the side of more natural ways of raising animals and other foods. Most people believe local produce, especially if it is grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, is healthier than fruits and vegetables that may have been shipped across the country and that may contain chemical residues.
Research has shown that meat from animals fed only on grasses, with no grain at any stage of their life, has a rich supply of essential fatty acids not found in conventional meats. The direct marketing of meat and produce, from farmers to consumers, means that foods should be fresh, should never have been subjected to radiation or chemicals that are used to retard spoilage, and should still provide vitamins that can be lost during a lengthy stay in cold storage.
A farmer with pastureland can expend energy once devoted to the laborious and expensive growing of grain to improving his green fields. The cost of raising cattle on pasture is much less than that of raising them in confinement or finishing (fattening) them with grain. Since grasses and legumes like clover and alfalfa improve the soil rather than robbing it of nutrients as corn does, the fertility of the land is protected and chemical fertilizer use can be reduced or eliminated.
Feedlots are known to be unhealthy places for cattle. Many feel that the unnatural crowding of animals and the deprivation of their natural food (grass) is inhumane. It's a system that makes money for the owners, but the quality of the meat produced is adversely affected. Ranchers that produce a free-range and naturally-grown animal need to raise awareness of the superiority of their meat.
Of course, some grass fed beef farms have gone national. One Colorado family markets its meat to several national grocery chains. Many gourmet restaurants now feature this premium meat on the menu. And another thing to consider: if you have a farmer like this in your area, you might be able to buy direct, taking the meat from the farm straight to your freezer.