I try to find grass-fed beef for our home. Cows evolved to eat grass and their digestion works best when they do. When you hear about cattle being major emitters of methane, it is often because they are being fed things like corn that they don’t digest well. The methane when it is in the atmosphere is a potent greenhouse gas and exacerbates global warming, so it is good for the environment for cows to eat grass.
There used to be a slogan about a dairy selling milk “from contented cows.” The cows probably got to eat grass! Science also has shown that cows are especially happy if they get to eat flax.
Grass-fed beef is also healthier for people to eat. It is lower in fat and the fat that it does have is higher in omega 3 fats rather than omega 6 fats. Corn-fed beef is high in omega 6 fats with little omega 3s.
I wish that farmers in the US would change their practices to go back to the older practice of cows eating grass. It would be better for the climate, the cows, and the people.
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Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week is “beef.” Join us! Find out how here: http://lindaghill.com/2015/10/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-2315/ 
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There are farmers that are raising grass fed beef in the US. You can get it at the market now. The only problem I have with it is that it is very expensive. I really feel I can’t afford to buy the steaks but I do buy the ground beef that is grass fed. There is a great little restaurant up in Point Reyes, California that serves grass fed beef burgers. The cows in that area are grass fed. I like to buy local meet as well whenever possible but again very expensive.
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Thanks for your comment, Deborah! Yes, we are fortunate that many small farms are raising grass-fed cattle. Near my home in the Northeast, we do have some supplies in local and farmers’ markets, as well as in one of the chain supermarkets. Some restaurants serve grass-fed beef, as well. The affordability is an issue, though. To impact methane emissions, we need to get the big suppliers to go grass-fed, which will mean a re-jiggering of the whole agriculture system toward growing plants that are predominantly for human, rather than animal, consumption. In the long run, our diets would be healthier if we ate less meat and more plants. Local food is great, too. Fortunately, there are more and more ways to create urban farms, so fresh food can be close to where most people live. .
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I agree. 🙂
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I actually didn’t know this – any of it. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, Joanne. 🙂
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You’re welcome! One never knows what might spill out from my liberal-artsy mind. 😉
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