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.

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).

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.

Wholesome, delicious, and nutritious Organic Prairie 85% Lean Grass-Fed Organic Ground Beef is produced by organic family farmers working in harmony with nature. The USDA National Organic Program standards are the strictest food production standards in the world. Certified organic farms are required to follow the NOP standards www.ams.usda.gov/nop, and are annually inspected by an independent third party.

Lean, organic, grass-fed ground beef is a popular and versatile food. Organic Prairie's 85% Lean Grass-Fed Organic Ground Beef is wonderful in the traditional favorite the hamburger sandwich, and can be used in a wide variety of prepared dishes ranging from chili, to casseroles, to Mexican-style foods such as tacos and nachos.

Organic Prairie Family of Farms sources all of our organic beef from family farmers and cooperatives producing in compliance with the USDA Organic Standards, both domestically and internationally. Our primary goal is to grow our domestic organic beef program to meet increasing demand, but in the interim we are working with like-minded partners in Australia to meet consumer demand for organic grass-fed beef.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Beef is an excellent source of high density protein produced without added potentially harmful chemicals, and a good source of iron, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins. People who eat beef regularly are more likely to meet 100% of the RDA for protein, iron, zinc, and B-vitamins. (USDA CSFII 1994-96 ). Stearic acid, a unique saturated fatty acid is found in 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For best results, it is recommended that the product be repackaged by wrapping in freezer paper or tin foil to ensure the product avoids exposure to air. As a customer convenience, a sticker is attached to each package, which contains tips for freezing the product. While the high amount of oxygen in the package can slightly darken the color of the meat, a natural antioxidant (an extract of rosemary) is used to protect the color against the negative impact of oxygen.

After shopping, groceries should be refrigerated as soon as possible. Customers should wash their hands before and after handling raw meat, cook ground beef thoroughly and avoid cross-contamination. Ground beef must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F to ensure complete elimination of bacteria. For more information on food safety, please see our website.

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.

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.

Grass fed beef offers so much more protection from e-coli than grain fed beef. First off, as far as I can tell, it is natural for all cow stomachs to have e-coli. The Ph in the cow’s stomach is neutral, whereas humans have a very acidic stomach. So if the meat is ever mishandled and somehow e-coli makes it way onto your dinner plate, it could not handle the acidity in your stomach and would die immediately.

Can’t get it in grass-fed beef. Mad cow disease is passed along when you feed a beef to a cow. Nature has long since scorned cannibalism. So after that last scare of mad cow disease in England, the USA banned feeding cow to other cows. However, reading Micheal Pollan, it seems it is still acceptable to feed the fat and blood of cow to cows. Some people just don’t get it. Sure, the USDA studied it, and found that fat and blood cannot pass along mad cow disease, but what morons.