USDA on 'grass-fed' cows: confine 'em and let 'em eat corn stalks

[nosmokes]

never mind the fact that the *entire* fucking point of having a grass fed label is to eat meat that has been grazed and raised naturally, not standing in apen with a few hundred or a few thousand of it's miserable kin ankle deep in their shit and urine and unable to turn around and requiring anti-biotics so as not to get to get sick from the disgusting living(?) conditions.

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USDA on 'grass-fed' cows: confine 'em and let 'em eat corn stalks
Posted by Tom Philpott/ gristmill


Cows that feed solely on pasture perform a valuable service: they transform what's inedible to us -- grass -- into a rich source of protein and other nutrients. And when such cows are raised in moderate numbers, they can actually improve the health and biodiversity of grasslands. Moreover, cows evolved to eat grass, so the pasture model is clearly the most animal-friendly way to create beef.

To me, the grass-fed concept exemplifies responsible agrarianism: it's energy efficient (it relies on no vast, petroleum-guzzling corn fields), it enhances rather than degrades the ecosystems it relies on, and it forces us to eat mindfully and in season.

If we insisted on raising all of our beef on ample pasture, every American would be able to savor the privilege of eating beef only, say, every couple of weeks -- and less during the grazing season, when cows are fattening up.

Which sounds about right to me.

Leave it to the USDA -- that hothouse of food-industry flackery -- to attempt to screw it all up.
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[warrens]

1. If they dumb this down, they are going to destroy natural/organic

But agribusiness must be served. USDA has a couple of points, but those exceptions should be locked in and very specific, like demanding a log of days when weather was too extreme for the cattle to forage.

[pooja]

2. Since we know that red meats aren't the best for us.. we are only

supposed to eat it maybe once a week. I know I only eat beef about every other week or every third week. Also, everyone would eat quality. McD's would be out of business (but their beef is highly supect to begin with). Its now going to take work to find the companies that actually have grass fed cattle. I'm sure we can do it.