Grass-Fed VS Grain-Fed: A Rancher’s Take on Beef & Nutrient Quality

Rancher Michaela Mann discusses the balance between grass and grain finishing in cattle and challenges faced by U.S. agriculture including land loss and sustainability efforts. 

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-----------------Show Notes-------------------

0:00 Intro 1:30 Ranchers care about their animals and treat them well. 7:30 Ranchers get emotionally attached to some of the animals. 8:30 Michaela’s goal for her animals is to have them only have one bad day. 10:20 The US has high processing standards. 11:30 Pre-slaughter stress changes the pH and changes the meat. 15:30 The beef calf stays with its mother for 6 to 8 months. 16:43 Northern states do not have year-long grass for grazing. 17:55 Grain finished cattle only had 11% grain in their diet. 18:20 80 to 90% of grass finished beef sold in the US is from overseas. 19:30 Antibiotics are only used when an animal is sick or injured. 22:38 Large meat packing plants test meat for antibiotics. 23:50 Older cows/bulls are used for cheaper grocery store meat or dog food. 30:30 Cattle dogs and flashing ear tags deter predators. 34:00 Bison are different to raise and harvest from cattle. 41:45 Regenerative and sustainable farming is done by most ranchers and farmers to some extent. 43:40 Ranching utilizes natural grassland and provides habitat for wildlife. 53:15 The US has lost 100,00 farms/ranches between 2011 and 2018. 53:30 Bill Gates is the largest landowner in the state of Nebraska. 56:30 The US has lost 31 million acres of ag land since 1982. 01:00:40 Avian flu can be a problem with poultry, but not in cattle production.