Grass-fed beef is 20% lower in calories than grain finished beef and has higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, CLA's (conjugated linoleic acid -- an essential fatty acid that fights cancer and inhibits body fat), and Vitamins A and E. It is also easier on the environment and the animals since the cattle are not subjected to life in a feedlot, which also creates a waste management problem.

Grass fed, grain finished beef is rich in Vitamin A (Beta-Carotine), Vitamin E (Alpha-Tacopherol, a primary anti-oxidant), Omega 3 & 6 (Polyunsaturated) , Conjugated Linoleic Acid (Polyunsaturated).

Grass-fed beef is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol than grain fed beef. It's also higher in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital in protecting the body against diseases such as type II diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. Grass-fed beef is also raised in an environment that's as close to nature as possible. The cattle feed on grass, just as they would if they were left to their own devices, rather than feed filled with antibiotics, hormones, and by-products.

Distinct flavor is the difference with a grain-fed / finished steer. We raise Greener Pastures Beef cattle exclusively on our Kansas pastures, in the unhurried, natural way... fed on rich, nutritious grasses and grain fed to finish for flavor and tenderness. Greener Pastures Beef tastes extra flavorful because it comes from free-range cattle.

One hundred percent grass-fed beef is gaining interest and seems to be a trend. In some ways that’s good, because all beef consumption is beneficial for the beef industry. The United States is known world-wide for it’s high quality, grain fed beef. Unlike other countries, we can produce quality beef, because we have the resources to graze cattle on grass, and finish them on grains. American consumers have come to love the taste of grain fed beef.

We like to use the analogy of it's like comparing a Budweiser with a Samuel Adams. Huge difference. You'll find that 100% grass-fed beef has a clean, refined flavor not found in grain-finished beef, the current standard in 99%+ of American supermarkets today. You don't have to be a food connoisseur to notice the unique and robust flavor of grass-fed beef.

Cattle spend the first year or more of their lives in the pasture, but for the final 3-6 months, the vast majority of U.S. beef cattle are fed a nutritionally balanced mixture of grain and nutrients. On a small number of U.S. farms, ranchers raise cattle that continue to feed on grass through the final stage. There are no safety or significant nutritional differences between grass-finished and grain-finished products. The principle differences are taste and texture.

Grass-finished beef has a minimal risk compared to grain-fed beef due to the difference in epigastric pH in the two diets. Grain diets create a much higher level of acidity in the stomach, which the E.coli bacteria need to survive. Forage based animals maintain pH's near 7 which severely retards the environment for ecoli 157. ALWAYS COOK GROUND BEEF UNTIL NO PINK REMAINS. Our beef is the best, but never take a chance with your family's health by serving undercooked meat, we don't. [back to top]

Our animals have had no access to contaminated animal by-product feed in any shape or form. For that matter, animal by-products of bonemeal and meat scrapes have been banned since 1997. Pasture finishing on high quality forage and management eliminates the risk. We simply know each animal personally and they are in perfect health at the point of harvest. Our animals are segregated at harvest and kept separate through the entire harvest and fabrication process. Plus we know their life history.

You can go directly to the ordering page to browse our selections or to place your order for Real Grass Fed Beef.

Conventional beef typically comes from cattle that are raised in pastures for the majority of their lives, typically 12 to 18 months, and then are fed a grain-based diet for approximately three to six months. o When forage is not available because of extreme weather conditions, like in winter or during a drought, cattle can thrive on a limited amount of grain.

This differs from many conventional beef cattle, which spend most of their lives on pasture, but are finished on a carefully balanced, grain-based diet. As a result of the forage-based diet grass-fed animals receive throughout the balance of their lives, grass-fed beef tends to grade "Select" (with slight intramuscular fat or marbling), giving it the same level of leanness as conventional beef graded "Select". Grass-fed beef is not necessarily raised organically.

We currently do not have any grass fed beef in our retail store. We prefer to have our beef be finished off with grain. This process ensures superior marbling, flavor, and tenderness in your beef. As an alternative to grass fed beef, we carry bison, which we feel combines the health benefits of grass fed beef with excellent flavor.

Our steaks, roasts and beef patties are packaged in vacuum sealed, clear, heavy weight plastic. This does an excellent job of providing fresh beef even with extended storage in your freezer. Each steak and roast is individually packaged, so you can easily prepare what you need. You will find it is very easy and quick to thaw in a basin of water or in the refrigerator.

Under our Heritage Meats program, we sell beef and pork that are grass-fed and grass finished, raised on the open pastures of small family-owned farms in New York State and throughout New England. For more information on our Heritage Meats program, read on.

Antibiotic use in our cattle is limited to clinically sick animals only. We never use sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotic in our feed. We never sell an animal that has been treated twice. All animals that receive antibiotics are given a shot if they are clinically ill. That means they are obviously sick and are running a temperature; cattle are susceptible to pneumonia and occasionally need to be treated just like people.

a result of the forage-based diet grass-finished animals receive throughout their lives, grass-finished beef tends to grade “Select,” which means it has minimal intramuscular fat or marbling. Conventional beef graded “Select” has the same level of leanness as grass-finished beef.

No, there is not. Tests have been done on oil from 9 different countries, each feeding the grain of choice for their area. Feed has been found to affect the color of emu oil but no other differences have been noted.

To get a high degree of marbling, the animals are fed corn, which produces more fat in the muscle (meat); as compared to feeding the animals grass, or grain, which produces less fat in the muscle (meat). The more marbling, the better, and we sell only the best. Feeding the animals only corn affects the price of U.S.D.A. Prime and CAB because, as the cost of corn rises, the cost of feeding the animals rises.

Conventionally produced beef comes from cattle that spend most of their lives on pasture but are finished on a carefully balanced, grain-based diet.

Grass fed beef is meat from cattle that have remained on the range without being brought to the feedlot for finishing. Very often the fat covering will have a dark or yellow cast resulting from the carotene (vitamin A) in grass. This color tends to disappear from animals that are brought from the range to the feedlots for short or long feeding.

Pasturing is an environmentally-friendly practice, avoiding the waste run-off common in feedlots, which is estimated by the EPA to have polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states. Pasturing protects the environment for all living creatures. The greater the percentage of cattle's diet that comes from grass, the more optimal the ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids in the beef.

Organic Prairie's 85% Lean Grass-Fed Organic Ground Beef is available fresh and frozen in 1 lb. packages.

Organic Prairie's 85% Lean Grass-Fed Organic Ground Beef is being tested as a pilot program in the Western United States due to strong consumer demand for organic grass-fed beef in that region. If the market dictates, we will expand this program to include other regions.

There are currently not enough grass-fed beef or dairy producers to meet demand. Grocery stores want products year-round, yet grass-fed products (especially beef unless it is frozen) are seasonal and not regularly available to stores and customers. Retail grocery stores also want the quality of beef to be consistent, but it can vary over time as producers work to improve their production methods.

Because it's a fledgling industry, you usually can't find these products in the large chain supermarkets. Milk products can often be found at co-ops or grocery stores like Whole Foods. Grass-fed beef can be found in some supermarkets, at farmers' markets, on the Internet, and from local producers. The American Grassfed Association maintains a list of producers at www.americangrassfed.org.

Cows are ruminant animals. They eat grass, swedes, beets, clover, and other grasses. They are not meant to eat grain. In fact, grain feeding a cow for most of its life gives the cow liver damage, fattens them up unnaturally, and changes their stomachs to be more acidic (like a human’s stomach) which can allow e- coli to become resistant to acidic conditions (like a human’s stomach). This is why we have new strains of e-coli which are harmful to us.