 Why Natural Beef Instead of Organic Beef?Organic beef does not necessarily mean meat that is naturally raised. Organic certification refers only to what an animal has or has not consumed. Period. Organic certification alone does not ensure that animals are raised in a healthy, sustainable and natural way, nor does it mean that animal welfare is necessarily a high priority. Many large food conglomerates have organic production divisions where the animals are raised in confinement and fed unnatural high-grain diets, although the feed is organically produced. Just because a package is labeled as organic beef does not ensure that you are necessarily buying the healthiest food for you and your family.So what do we mean when we say we are raising and producing natural beef? All natural to us means we do not administer growth hormones and antibiotics to our cows. In fact, since they lead a natural lifestyle that doesn’t involve life on a feed lot or on a confinement production farm they don’t need the antibiotics to keep them alive and healthy. Yes, when cattle are raised on feedlots or in confinement facilities and being fed unnatural, grain intensive diets, the administration of antibiotics is standard because the rate of disease is so high. Their feed often contain animal by-products as well. Cattle are vegetarians – they are NOT designed to digest this. Do you really want to be feeding this to yourself, your family and your friends? Long stemmed forage is the natural diet for cattle. There are two places a cow can get this forage, pasture or hay. Our cattle are raised on pasture and are free to roam around with their herd. The cows are rotated between pastures periodically to ensure that they always have fresh grass and that the pastures are not over-grazed. This is part of our commitment to sustainable agriculture. The bottom line is that cows need to be fed their ORIGINAL diet, not necessarily just an "organic" diet, to produce healthy meat. How does this benefit you? Multiple scientific studies have proven that meat produced from cows raised either primarily or only on grass is significantly healthier than meat from cattle raised in feedlots and in confinement housing. Click here to read more – the differences are significant. You may also learn more about what we do at Paradigm Farms by visiting www.retiredhorses.com
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