Blog » Grassfed Beef in the News »
Different Forage Affects Beef Cattle Weight, TasteCATEGORY: Grassfed Beef in the News | Permalink | Posted on: September 30th, 2013 Clemson University Animal Science researchers conducted a two-year trial looking at grass finishing Angus steers on paddocks planted with varying forage species that included Alfalfa, Bermuda Grass, Chicory, Cowpea, and/or Pearl Millet. The purpose of the trial as to look at forages and forage mixtures that can have a positive impact on finishing cattle in the hot summer months in the Southeastern region of the U.S., and to determine how those forage finishing diets affect meat nutrition and taste. Their research indicated that there were significant differences in growth, carcass, and meat quality. According to researchers John Andrae, Susan Duckett, and Steve Ellis, the best live animal performance in terms of average daily gain (ADG) was from finishing steers on alfalfa and chicory. The greatest increases in carcass quality and consumer taste test preference came from the steers finished on an alfalfa and cowpea mix. The most significant improvement in healthy fatty acid content of the meat came from steers finished on a combination of Bermuda grass and pearl millet. John Andrae, Clemson University forage and pasture specialist, stated that, “The study is useful to beef producers in the Southeast, where summer heat is a challenge for finishing cattle. These forages have potential to boost steer growth and quality when traditional cool-season forages are either dormant or have slow growth rates and don’t do as good a job finishing cattle for marketâ€. The study was funded by a USDA Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant. Read the entire article on Drover’s Cattle NetworkUSDA To Report On Grass-fed BeefCATEGORY: Grassfed Beef in the News | Permalink | Posted on: September 30th, 2013 View the first ever USDA Grassfed Beef Market Report The USDA AMS (Agricultural Marketing Service) has developed a new report to provide industry stakeholders with trends in the grass-fed beef market. The USDA AMS developed the National Monthly Grass Fed Beef Report in response to requests from the industry. The new report includes market commentary and three sections of data: prices paid for live cattle; wholesale beef prices; and direct-market beef prices. The report is strictly voluntary and all reporting is kept confidential. No individual person or program reporting will be identified in the released reports. In addition, at least for the foreseeable future, all grass fed beef market reports will be comprised of national average data and will not have data broken down into state or regional averages. The USDA states that the market report will be expanded as the total number of reporting participants grow. The future reports may include items such as trade volume data supported by graphs, tables, charts, etc. According to USDA AMS Administrator Anne Alonzo, “This monthly report will bring market clarity and exposure to assist the grass-fed industry in marketing their products. This report will fill a significant gap for the industry and increase transparency in the marketplace for all participantsâ€. Read the entire article on Meat & Poultry Staff Bright Future for Grassfed Beef IndustryCATEGORY: Grassfed Beef in the News | Permalink | Posted on: September 30th, 2013 Grassfed and grass- finished beef are enjoying an increasing share of the consumer beef market. While direct marketing to customers is the primary outlet for smaller grassfed producers, larger operations are finding success in marketing their product through more traditional chain grocery and restaurant outlets. These were key concepts shared by industry leaders at the annual Grassfed Beef conference held in Bismarck, ND in August. This year’s conference, titled “Grassfed Rising†was hosted by the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition and the Grassfed Exchange, a non-profit group organized to promote the grassfed livestock industry. Proof of a growing industry was evident through the more than 400 attendees representing 37 states and 4 countries. Grass-finishing operations seeking connections to grassfed growers were on hand, and several South Dakota cattlemen were in attendance. Understanding emerging grassfed cattle and multi-species grazing markets may be a real opportunity for South Dakota’s grass-based producers. Read the rest of the article on Drover’s Cattle Network Paleo diet an opportunity for beef producersCATEGORY: Grassfed Beef in the News | Permalink | Posted on: February 6th, 2013 
Beef producers need to be aware of a relatively new ‘caveman’ diet, which is already popular in the US and is likely to gain momentum in the UK.This was the message from Julia Glotz, the fresh foods editor at the Grocer magazine, who explained to delegates the Paleo or caveman diet, which involves eating whole, natural, unprocessed foods, could present beef producers with opportunities to tap into a new market. However, she added the industry needed to be prepared to answer some questions on the regime, which has meat, fish and poultry at its core. “It means no processed foods, no grains, no legumes, no sugar and only a little dairy’†said Ms Glotz. “Followers of this diet will often say ‘if it comes in a packet or has a list of ingredients don’t eat it’.†Trend awareness She said the UK media were beginning to pick up on this trend and the people who follow this regime are ‘enthusiastic’ about what beef farmers are doing. “These are people who love your products and are prepared to invest in good quality food. Originating Article: FARMERS GUARDIAN Demand for grass-fed beef is growing!CATEGORY: Grassfed Beef in the News | Permalink | Posted on: February 1st, 2013 
Grass-fed beef accounts for only about 3% of the market, but demand is growing 20% a year, a study shows. It’s a result of the backlash against corn-fed cattle.There were only 100 producers of grass-fed beef in the U.S. in the late 1990s. Now there are more than 2,000, says Alan Williams, who produces grass-fed beef. One of them is Grassland Beef Co. in Missouri. Jeremy Parker is a rancher who raises his cattle the old-fashioned way. His herd feeds on grass. “There’s definitely growing demand” for grass-fed beef, he said. “There’s more demand than there is availability.” Although still only about 3% of the beef consumed in the U.S., grass-fed beef will keep rising in popularity, advocates, consumers and producers predict. One study put demand growth at 20% a year… Read the Article in the LA TIMES |
