Tips to Choose Your Grass Fed Beef Vendor

There are a few considerations or tips that you should keep in mind when you are choosing your grass fed beef vendor as not everyone can live up to the tall claims. You should look for a conscientious grass farmer where his cattle are concerned so that you are ensured of good quality, healthy beef for you and your family.

Here are a few tips to help you choose a good quality grass fed beef vendor:
• Ensure that the vendor you are considering raises grass fed meat so that you get the benefits of higher Omega 3 fatty acids, CLA, lower cholesterol, lower saturated fats and fewer calories.
• It is important that the cattle is feeding or grazing in the open, in clean pastures, with the use of no artificial supplements, grain or animal by products.
• The grass farmer should be committed to using no pesticides, no herbicides, no antibiotics and no hormone implants.
• When the cattle are moved they must be moved directly from the pasture to the processor with a stop at the feedlot. The occurrence of E.coli has dramatically reduced in cattle which are raised on forage and so even the mad cow is not an issue with forage raised beef.
• When choosing make sure that the beef is being processed in a plant that takes time in processing each animal at one time and not the high factory assembly line that are frequently used in processing plants. This is important as it determines the quality of the beef and its purity.
• Make sure the processing plant follows all the rules and regulations set by the Australian Standards so that you are ensured of great quality beef. Make sure that the plant does not use any chemical baths, no chlorine and no irradiation for treating the beef.
• The grass farmer should incorporate genetics, low stress handling of the animals, grazing protocol in concern with the high quality of the beef produced.
• Choose a vendor who has high standards for ethical humane treatment of the livestock. Cattle were meant to be raised on open pastures and not in confined pens that are filled with manure and mud.
• Check if the meat has been dry aged for tenderness and flavor enhancement. Beef needs dry aging for the complete gourmet beef experience.
• Environmental integrity is very important and it should be important to your grass farmer as well. They should practice rotational grazing which allows the soil to replenish its lost nutrients.