Why grass fed matters

There has been much written about the benefits of grass-fed meats. At Pawnee Pride, we feel that some of the most objective information can be found online at Jo Robinson’s site for grassfed food facts, www.eatwild.com and in the books and articles by Michael Pollan at www.michaelpollan.com/write.php.

Grassfed and/or pasture raised is very important to our approach at Pawnee Pride Meats. After many years of observations and education regarding grass farming and sustainable land management we have come to the following conclusions:

• Herbivores were created to live and eat exclusively on grassland
• Birds and hogs benefit from eating grass, seeds and grassland insects
• Meat from animals raised on grass are higher in essential fatty acids
• Grass based agriculture promotes humane treatment of animal
• Grassfed promotes good land stewardship
• Grassfed promotes good animal husbandry
• Planned grazing promotes habitat for grassland birds and mammals
• Grass farming reduces erosion
• Grass farming reduces air and water contamination
• Grass farming is safer for the farmer
• Grass farming is aesthetically pleasing
• Grass farming is sustainable

To achieve and claim the benefits listed above, we feel that the grass farming needs to be done on healthy perennial pastures without the use of high energy inputs such as tillage, fertilization, irrigation or pesticides and that management objectives need to focus on the outcomes that are desired. We feel that the animals need to be handled humanely and raised without the use of antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides. This is the system that we have chosen to follow.