I’ve seen a number of articles, blogs, etc. lately in the animal ag press encouraging producers to stand up verbally to attacks on the industry by animal rights groups.  At the extreme, some of these groups are calling for conversion to veganism.   The vast majority of Americans are not going to become vegans or vegetarians.  When the animal ag industry focuses on fighting the extremes, it tends to allow us to avoid the more pertinent and difficult issues relating to the way large-scale animal agriculture has evolved.

In the name of “efficiency”, many sectors of the industry have gone down a slippery slope of incremental changes in animal husbandry.  Like the frog heated slowly to boiling that will die rather than jump out of the pot, our industry has slowly adopted practices that my agricultural ancestors would be horrified with. 

In many cases, a practice is put into place that incrementally improves “animal welfare” over the existing condition, given the current production situation.  An example is de-beaking chickens:  Through a combination of changes in genetics (commercial chicken strains are more agressive than their flock-living ancestors) and living conditions (higher densities of chickens per square foot), chickens will peck at each other.  It is better to remove the chicks beak than to let them peck each other to death.  And so welfare studies will report that chickens are better off with de-beaking than intact.

If the industry’s current mass-production practices are so defensible, why is it that they are not routinely pictured in educational or promotional material from the very industries that use them?  The egg industry uses images of hens on nests.  The chicken industry pictures chickens that still have their beaks, the milk industry uses images of cows out on pasture. 

Temple Grandin makes a statement in her most recent book (Animals Make Us Human) about why she is still in animal ag.  She also states that if her career had started now, as opposed to when it did, she is not sure she could have seen past the current welfare situation present in many large-scale chicken, hog and feedlot operations.

We, as an industry, have lost the middle ground between animal stewardship and ag-business.  Individual producers are, as a whole, conscientious caretakers of the animals in their charge.  Somehow, in the translation to larger and more efficient production, however, we’ve lost our connection to the subjects of our stewardship, and often to the employees who are involved in that production.  IMHO, this is what our industry needs to address more urgently than preventing a mass conversion to veganism.

 N.B. This post was prompted by “The sin of animal agriculture“, a blog post to which I felt compelled to reply.   

Our home ranch is featured in this month’s Edible Austin magazine.  If you like the photos, they are a credit to my husband and partner, Ralph Mitchell.  He’s also the one responsible for doing the steak grilling for the taste-testing we do of each harvest of beef, not to mention the bulk of the ranch work.

This article presents an idyllic view of our life.  In reality, it is hard work almost every day.  It is also the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life.

While I was in Washington D.C. last week, a cab driver from Mauritius, upon hearing that I ranched for a living, asked how many hours a week we worked and what we did for a vacation.  He seemed surprised when I explained we pretty much worked  while the sun was up and that time off the ranch was only by necessity.

I found myself explaining that although we work really hard almost every day, our “vacations” come in small moments that don’t happen during most people’s work life.   Often, in the midst of a stressful event, I’ll be caught by the beauty of a nighthawk chasing insects in the morning sun, or the smell of clover in bloom.  As it mentions in the article, we sometimes turn a routine chore like checking on the cows into a mini romantic interlude.  Honestly, if I had a week with no responsibilities or duties, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere but here on our home ranch.

I wonder how much different the world would be if most people were able to find the same kind of reward in their daily labor.

How can we feed our world healthily, responsibly, ethically and economically?  That question could start many a heated debate.  It’s going to take some creative problem solving and a willingness to take a hard and realistic look at alternatives and the real (including environmental and social) costs of many production systems to create tomorrow’s agriculture.  Russ Parsons of the LA Times voiced many of my thoughts.  I’m going to quote liberally.

On the one side, the hard-line aggies seem convinced that a bunch of know-nothing urbanites want to send them back to Stone Age farming techniques. On the other side, there’s a tendency by agricultural reformers to lump together all farms (or at least those that aren’t purely organic, hemp-clad mom-and-pop operations) as thoughtless ravagers of the environment

I operate on both sides of this debate because we raise and sell registered breeding stock and sell pasture-raised beef and veal at local farmer’s markets.  I hear more than my share of biases and accusations. Here’s some things I think we all need to remember:

Agriculture is a business. Farming without a financial motive is gardening. …Not only do farmers have expenses to meet just like any other business, but they also need to be rewarded when they do good work.

…we also have to keep in mind that our first obligation is to make sure that healthful, fresh food remains plentiful and inexpensive enough that anyone can afford it.

The world is changing, and those who can adapt are the ones who will be successful.

What’s political is also personal. If you believe in something, you should be willing to make sacrifices to support it, even if it’s expensive or inconvenient. Wailing about farmers who use pesticides and then balking at paying extra for organic produce is hypocritical because the yields in organic farming are almost always lower.

Don’t assume that those who disagree with you are evil, stupid or greedy.

It is good to hear a voice for tolerance and moderation.  Consumers have legitimate desires and concerns, even when they don’t have all the facts.  Individual producers, as a whole, are producing our food in the best way they know and really do care about their animals and the environment.  Let’s fix the problem, not the blame.

This is a guest post by Hona Backstrom, a college student doing an internship at Wild Type Ranch.

When bought directly from its maker, there is a story behind each vegetable, fruit, baked good, or steak. The farmer, baker or rancher knows each article from its creation to its consumption. They have, usually with the help of their families, set up a small farm, kitchen or ranch in order to deliver high quality produce to the public through a farmer’s market.

During a farmer’s market, members of the community exchange money for fresh local produce. In this exchange, the supplier communicates and interacts with the customer on a personal basis. Rather than the impersonal relationship one may find in the rush of the grocery store checkout line, the farmer’s market offers a slower paced and more intimate connection with the artisan. By using this method of trade, customers tend to develop loyalty to specific farmers or producers, deepening the communication and rapport between the two. The produce is associated with a face and a family rather than a brand name and a price tag. Along with healthy locally produced foods, the farmer’s market also provides a place for the populace to meet on a weekly basis, often enjoying firm friendships and strengthening the community itself.

I am fortunate to experience the farmer-customer relationship first-hand. As an intern at Wild Type Ranch, a company that raises grass fed Angus in Cameron Texas, my responsibilities include assisting with the markets as well as aiding in cattle husbandry. I am a part of the process that gets the steak to the table. Because of my work on the ranch, I can truly appreciate the effort that goes into creating quality food. I am lucky to have formed friendships with customers as well as with other vendors and I enjoy being a part of the community each market provides.  Through my adventure here, it has become important to know where my food comes from and who raised it.

The family farm is a vital part, and starting point in the path that brings locally grown food to the table. As a new member of a family farm I have experienced and observed the morals and life skills instilled at a young age upon the adolescent boys here. I myself have learned along with them the value of a hard day’s work, and reaping the gratifying benefits afterwards. Working the farm as a family includes the children in the natural life cycle of the farms animals and they can appreciate life as well as accept death. As a family unit we are forced to depend on each other and function as a whole rather than separate parts in order accomplish a full days work. This reliance forms stronger bonds and we are more intimately connected.

Our hard work, love, environmental stewardship, and artistry are ingredients in the food we produce. The food we raise nourishes not only the body, but also the spirit while strengthening the community.

There was a very nice article about Joel Salatin (made famous to many in The Ominvore’s Dilemma).  There are lots of nice articles about Joel, but what made this one news-worthy to me is that it was picked up in the daily news feed of BEEF magazine.  BEEF is a mainstream beef industry publication. 

The beef industry, as does much of mainstream agriculture, often takes an atagonistic position relative to us “alternative production” types.  I found it encouraging that BEEF posted the article.  One of the things that frustrates me as a agriculturalist is this “either-or” tension between farmers growing for the local market and farmers growing for larger, more mainstream outlets.  Even though we raise registered Angus and Red Angus breeding stock, for sale to mainstream producers, we have on occasion been accused of “damaging the beef industry” because we also sell pasture-raised beef locally.

Kudos to BEEF magazine.  I’ll be interested in watching the comments.

I often encounter reluctance to try local pastured meats (much less pay a premium price for them) because there is a general bias in this country that “grain fed” is higher quality.  I suspect most of Wild Type Ranch’s first-time customers buy our beef because of one or more of the following reasons; we’re local, no feedlots, no hormone implants, no routine antibiotics, compassionate animal care, environmental stewardship, grass/pastured meat health benefits.  Unless they’ve been referred by an existing customer, “quality” or “fantastic eating experience” isn’t usually mentioned.

I just returned from four days at the “Gourmet Beef on Grass III” conference. My head is swimming with ideas, inspiration and new questions.

The main focus of the conference was producing quality beef using sustainable methods.  It doesn’t happen without knowledge and planning,  but more and more ranchers are creating a “wow” eating experience for their customers.
Not all beef is created equal, however.  If you are a consumer, here’s the CLIF notes to getting good beef locally:

• Buy beef from someone who is knowledgeable about beef.  Great beef doesn’t just happen, it takes good management and good genetics.
• Ask what breed or kind of cattle are producing the beef.  Good beef is more likely to come from English breeds, which include Angus, Red Angus, Devon, Lowline, Hereford, Dexter and Shorthorn.
• Ask how old the cattle are when they are harvested.  Good beef comes from cattle that grow at a reasonably steady rate.  If the beef is from animals older than about 30 months,the flavor MAY be stronger than you like, and the meat is less likely to be well-marbled and tender.
• Ask if the producer has taste-tested steaks from the beef they are selling, or otherwise guaranteed tenderness.
• Ask for a guarantee (replacement or refund) on your beef.
• Pay attention to the brand you are buying.  Find beef you like and stick to that producer or brand. (then you won’t have to ask these questions each time!)

Great beef is out there, and more and more ranchers are producing it.  At this conference, we scientifically tested the tenderness of 12 different steaks from different producers (including 3 of ours).  All twelve scored in the “tender” category.  I challenge anyone to buy steaks from the regular meat case at twelve grocery stores that would score tender 12 /12 times.

Tenderness, in particular, is something someone growing cattle for the feedlot is not paid for, so will not breed into their cattle.  When you buy direct from the rancher, however, it is among our primary quality concerns.  That’s why our ranch has a strict policy of “if it’s not tender and juicy, we don’t sell it”.  We’re not alone among local brands.

If you haven’t ventured into the land of locally produced, pastured meat, take your CLIF notes, find yourself a good producer and get ready to spoil yourself for life.

This is a post that’s been begging to be written ever since the NY Times article came out.  In fact, I could write several posts, but I’ll restrain myself.

Ground beef is the protein backbone of the American diet.  For such a food staple, people are surprisingly ignorant about how it is processed.  Even Chowhound admitted surprise that the hamburger patties in the article were formed from a number of sources, including fat trim and scraps.  The ground beef you typically buy (unless you typically buy locally from a known source) is blended from multiple slaughter facilities, and is primarily the fat and scrap trim and/or cull cows (primarily dairy) and bulls.  The time between when the trim is cut and the beef is ground is typically several days.  Carcasses in most plants are not tested for contaminants (such as E coli), only the beef after its ground.

As a youngster eating homegrown beef, I remember tasting the meatloaf mix before it went into the oven.  It would be insane to do so with typical commercially available ground beef.  Even then, I was taking some risks, but probably less than eating at a typical buffet line.

This year our ranch will sell between 15,000 and 20,000 pounds of packaged beef, about 40% of that in the form of ground beef, hamburger patties or chili beef.  Each package is from a single animal, with a known health history and slaughter date (not to mention pedigree and name), ground and frozen on the day the carcass is cut.  We sell beef from pedigreed Angus stock, completely raised on pasture, no hormone implants or routine antibiotics, on a ranch dedicated to humane animal treatment and environmental stewardship.  Our retail price for a single pound is $5.00; for 10-packs it’s $38.00.  We charge significantly less to wholesale outlets, restaurants and institutions.

Yet, we still struggle to find outlets for our beef.  The grocery chains typically are not anxious to deal with a local supplier for a single food item.  They also want to sell fresh product, delivered weekly, rather than the frozen beef we sell, which is harvested every 2-3 weeks.  Restaurants are struggling with their margins, and even at prices near-zero-profit margins for us, we still are more expensive than mass-market ground beef.  We can’t compete with 60 cents/lb trimmings and $1.20/lb “recovered lean” from melted fat trim (main components of the Cargill burger in the article).

Which points out one of the conundrums of our food system.  Mass production, utilizing discarded resources (cull animals and trim), centralized processing and distribution all lower food prices.  Add on the convenience factor of dealing in large volumes, and beef like ours hardly stands a chance.  Given information and a choice, at equal prices, and equal availability., I like to think a majority of consumers would choose a product similar to our Wild Type Ranch beef.  I’m thankful to all my customers who are willing to go the extra mile (sometimes literally) to do so.

From my very first post, I’ve maintained that local/alternative/progressive or whatever label you want to use is not an either/or choice for American Agriculture. Deputy Secretary of Ag, Kathleen Merrigan, said it very eloquently and completely yesterday as she discussed the KYF2 (Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food) program more in-depth.

Our food production and distribution system has some serious flaws, but it also has some parts that work pretty well.  Not everyone can afford $4-$5/lb chicken.  I sometimes wax evangelical on food-system reform, but I still believe it’s got to work into the system, not wholesale replace it.  We (farmers) can’t see each other as enemies, just because we use different practices.  All farmers ARE rock stars.  Thanks deputy secretary Merrigan

Other posts on the subject:

Living between Sesame Street and the Meatrix

Local Meat, friend or foe to animal agriculture?

What should we eat, and how should it be produced?

A new USDA initiative was recently launched (thanks, SlashFood) designed to reconnect consumers with their food and to stimulate local food economies. The $65 million dollar “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” program aims to break down some of the barriers that keep local food systems from thriving.

It’s great to see the USDA getting involved in embracing local food, rather than seeing it as a threat.   Wild Type Ranch produces pastured beef to sell locally, but half of our business is raising top-quality breeding stock, most of which is used as parents of more conventionally-produced beef.   I often feel that I’m one of the few who don’t see the two businesses as antagonistic.

I hear both sides of this issue, at the farmer’s market, at cattle sales and around town.  Getting consumers in touch with producers has got to help with understanding some of the conventional production systems that sometimes unfairly come under criticism.  Having the USDA embrace local food economies has got to help conventional agriculture see that anything that promotes ag, helps keep farmers on the land and farming and educates consumers is good for all agriculture.

Kudos, USDA!

About six weeks ago, Wild Type Ranch (our family business) harvested its first European-style, pasture-raised, milk-and-grass-fed veal.  It’s been a lesson in the workings of ag-bureauracracy.

99% or more of the veal harvested in this country is “milk-fed veal”, meaning it is primarily from dairy bull calves removed from the cow at birth, fed only milk replacer (or sometimes milk) and confined.  This produces the very pale, very tender veal Americans have come to expect. 

Pastured veal is left on its mother and is free to graze alongside her in the pasture up to the point of harvest.  Pastured veal is darker and has more flavor than confinement veal, but is still very sweet in flavor and very tender.  The first of our own veal loin chops we tasted were some of the best, most elegant meat I’ve ever had.

For our first harvest, I was told by our local inspector (with whom I have a positive relationship) that I could not use the word “veal” to label the cuts on the package. The chief inspector for the state said veal had could not be raised on pasture, based on the FSIS FAQ on veal, which talks only about the commonly available veal.  Never mind that the USDA specifially defines 4 classes of veal, including “non-special fed veal” that includes pasture-raised.  So, that first harvest got labelled “ground beef”, “beef cutlets”, etc.  At each farmer’s market I had to explain to each customer buying the veal that it really was veal, and that they should write on the label (I’m technically not allowed to add anything to the approved label), to make sure they didn’t get it mixed up with their beef.

Not willing to give up, I persevered and ended up speaking to a woman in D.C. at FSIS.  As it turns out, FSIS has approved a national label for Strauss Free-Raised veal, which is very similar to ours.  She kindly backed up my assertion that our pre-weaned calves were indeed veal.  I thought my problems were solved.

Round 3:  I have submitted my “production protocol” that documents our veal is veal and have been granted permission to use veal cut names on the label.  The catch:  Now that it is veal, I can no longer use my “Wild Type Ranch pasture-raised natural Angus beef” label.  The reasoning: This is veal, so it can’t be beef.  So, now I have to go through the time and expense of designing, submitting for approval and printing a new label. 

What was beef 6 weeks ago because it wasn’t veal now isn’t beef because it is veal.

In another 6 weeks, maybe I’ll get to label it as such.

See our previous post on veal for background information.