USDA grass fed guidelines

[PaMike]

A customer of mine said the USDA just came out with guidlines for the "grass fed beef" label. Can anyone direct me to a website that has the guidelines? I was at the USDA site and couldnt find anything. Thanks

 

[dieselbeef]

cattle must eat grass to qualify

 

[PaMike]

Thanks for the insight. You must be one of the sharper tools in the shed....

 

[usernametaken]

A customer of mine said the USDA just came out with guidlines for the "grass fed beef" label. Can anyone direct me to a website that has the guidelines? I was at the USDA site and couldnt find anything. Thanks

Try googling American Grassfed Association. They have rejected the guidelines set by USDA.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

We're members of a new grass fed beef coop. They are USDA inspected slaughter facility. We sell to them, they sell to retail supermarkets. No middlemen involved, we get the "extra" cash that would otherwise go to all those brokers and others.

Anyway,

"Natural Grass Fed Beef" is just that. Grass and grass hay. Until November 15, 2007, they allowed up to 1% of "grain" type supplements. After November 15, no more "grain" things, unless I'm mistaken. Also, NO implants, hormones, antibiotics, etc.

P.S.: Info can be found: Federal Register, Vol 72, No. 199, October 16, 2007.

 

[MrBilly]

This is from the American GrassFed.com,

New Rules Set for Meat Sold as Grass Fed
Marian Burros has long been an advocate for sustainable farming as well as a champion of grassfed meats sourced directly from family farms. She called immediately after the USDA grassfed claim was published in the Federal Register. In that interview I explained the mixed feelings I had about what the claim stated. Following is a result of that conversation.

New Rules Set for Meat Sold as Grass Fed

By MARIAN BURROS
Published: October 19, 2007
The Department of Agriculture has announced standards that would for the first time allow meat to be labeled as grass fed only if it came from animals that ate nothing but grass after being weaned.
Grass-fed meat has become more popular and widely raised in the past few years. Many of those who buy it consider it better for the environment than meat from animals raised on grain in huge lots, and healthier, because it is believed to have higher levels of Omega-3 fats. Some people also find it tastier.
Until now, said Martin E. O'Connor, the department official who oversees regulation of livestock feed, use of the grass-fed label was unregulated. Early proposals during five years of discussion would have permitted it for animals that were fattened on grain in their final weeks.
But the trade association representing many raisers of grass-fed livestock, which has long sought regulation of labeling, criticized the standards, which were announced on Monday, because they do not restrict the use of antibiotics and hormones and do not require grass-fed animals to live on pastures year round. The group, the American Grassfed Association, said it would set up its own certification system.
"The public perception is that grass-fed animals are on pasture," said Dr. Patricia Whisnant, a veterinarian and president of the association, "they are not confined and are not given hormones or antibiotics." ...."

http://blog.americangrassfedbeef.com/gr ... f-news.php


It seems that everyone involved in this area, has their thongs in a knot over the fact that under this reg. the cattle may be able to be shot up with hormones and given antibiotics, plus they can be confined for feeding rather than the picture perfect idea, of consumers, of calves grazing pasture all their lives.

Billy

 

[TexLonghornRanch]

("Dr. Patricia Whisnant, a veterinarian and president of the association")

Veterinarian??

More left wing nuts.

Sick animals need antibiotics.

This should get things going!

 

[backhoeboogie]

More left wing nuts.

:lol: :lol: It is plain to see where this one is going. Cows will get "grain" from many grass varieties. She is worse than left wing. Someone needs to let here know what grass is. No grain huh? What an idiot.

Don't take my word for it. Take a look or google it.

From Wikpedia and here is the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass

"True grasses include most plants grown as grains"

 

[backhoeboogie]

Thanks for the insight. You must be one of the sharper tools in the shed....

Mike, Diesel is on the money. "Grasses" include practically everything in the grain family. Google "grain" and Check Wikpedia "Cereal crops or grains are mostly grasses cultivated for their edible grains or seeds"

Plant grain crops, let them head out, then let the cows in to eat the "grass". They get grain and they are "grass fed" too. See where this goes? The only difference could be no feed lot.

 

[badaxemoo]

Plant grain crops, let them head out, then let the cows in to eat the "grass". They get grain and they are "grass fed" too. See where this goes? The only difference could be no feed lot.

You need to read the standards.

Producers that want to use the USDA grassfed label claim can't graze fields of corn, oats, or other grasses where the seed head has matured past a certain point.

 

[badaxemoo]

("Dr. Patricia Whisnant, a veterinarian and president of the association")

Veterinarian??

More left wing nuts.

Sick animals need antibiotics.

This should get things going!

Yes, some sick animals do need antibiotics. I sell organic grassfed beef. In the last 3 years I've given antibiotics on 3 occasions. Twice to sick calves and once to a cow with a prolapsed uterus.

I can do this. I just can't (and won't) sell those animals as organic. Just because you're organic doesn't mean you don't take care of your animals.

I just don't dose them up with a shot of LA200 every time they sneeze or limp like some people do.

And what in the world does a grassfed standard have to do with right or left wing? Maybe you need to listen to a little less AM talk radio.

 

[preston39]

A very interesting site to explore and read;

http://www.eatwild.com/

http://www.eatwild.com/basics.html

 

[backhoeboogie]

Plant grain crops, let them head out, then let the cows in to eat the "grass". They get grain and they are "grass fed" too. See where this goes? The only difference could be no feed lot.

You need to read the standards.

Producers that want to use the USDA grassfed label claim can't graze fields of corn, oats, or other grasses where the seed head has matured past a certain point.

More smoke and mirrors. Semantic snake oil standards. No one can make me believe grass fed folks plow up natural grasses like wild rye to keep the cows from foraging it. When cows are rotated regularly on different pastures, we have all seen the first things that get browsed.

I applaud you moo for going the natural route. The test fields I implemented with Hubam clover in lieu of nitrogen application had excellent results. This year I bought much more Hubam clover seed. With the price of fertilizer, many seem to be going that route. Good thing I got my clover seed early; Turner Seed has now sold out of Hubam clover. Understandably too. You get the same results of heavy fertilization plus the cows and deer love the clover, and it is much cheaper than fertilizer. More such studies by naturalists in areas such as this is appreciated.

 

[badaxemoo]

Plant grain crops, let them head out, then let the cows in to eat the "grass". They get grain and they are "grass fed" too. See where this goes? The only difference could be no feed lot.

You need to read the standards.

Producers that want to use the USDA grassfed label claim can't graze fields of corn, oats, or other grasses where the seed head has matured past a certain point.

More smoke and mirrors. Semantic snake oil standards. No one can make me believe grass fed folks plow up natural grasses like wild rye to keep the cows from foraging it. When cows are rotated regularly on different pastures, we have all seen the first things that get browsed.

Sorry, backhoe. I meant to put "grasses" in quotes - meaning grain crops that have been derived from grass. Of course the grassfed rules allow for the grazing of mature, headed out forage grasses.

Surely you can see the difference between grazing a mature cornfield or a mature stand of brome. Even though the the brome head might contain starch, the amount when compared to a cornfield is quite small.

That's why you don't find "brome syrup" in processed foods!

 

[backhoeboogie]

Plant grain crops, let them head out, then let the cows in to eat the "grass". They get grain and they are "grass fed" too. See where this goes? The only difference could be no feed lot.

You need to read the standards.

Producers that want to use the USDA grassfed label claim can't graze fields of corn, oats, or other grasses where the seed head has matured past a certain point.

More smoke and mirrors. Semantic snake oil standards. No one can make me believe grass fed folks plow up natural grasses like wild rye to keep the cows from foraging it. When cows are rotated regularly on different pastures, we have all seen the first things that get browsed.

Sorry, backhoe. I meant to put "grasses" in quotes - meaning grain crops that have been derived from grass. Of course the grassfed rules allow for the grazing of mature, headed out forage grasses.

Surely you can see the difference between grazing a mature cornfield or a mature stand of brome. Even though the the brome head might contain starch, the amount when compared to a cornfield is quite small.

That's why you don't find "brome syrup" in processed foods!

You obviously know what "grass" is. Heck, bamboo is grass.

My point is the folks writing all these rules appear to be totally clueless as to what "grass" entails. Most everyone has eaten natural beef and "grass fed" beef in their life time. I don't intend to be bashing either. Some of this stuff they come up with and market, is nothing more than pulling the wool over the eyes of the consumer.

If you are eating natural beef, it still has hormones. My wife buys "Hormone free milk". Yeah right!

All we really want to do in the end is eat healthy foods - and grass seed (grains)

 

[badaxemoo]

All we really want to do in the end is eat healthy foods - and grass seed (grains)

You and my cattle!

You ought to see those poor, grain-deprived bovines of mine clip the heads off the brome that gets ahead of my rotations and produces seeds.

It's like they're eating candy.

 

[MrBilly]

I'm almost sorry I brought my last post up. But, I guess I need to go a bit further. Grass-fed does NOT necessarily mean organic, it can , but does not have to be. Grass-fed cattle can graze pastures that have been fertilized with the same synthetic fertilizers that we all use for our hay fields and pastures; organic beef producers can NOT use a synthetic fertilizer they must rely on other types.

The whole thing about grain, as I understand it, does not in any way refer to seed heads of normal grasses we consider to be part of a pasture. They are talking about using the stuff that grain fed people use to make their beef fat and marble- corn , oats, wheat, etc. The reason is that giving these grains for only a very short time will markedly decrease the CLA and omegas in the beef which are the things the grass-feddy consumers want extra of - they are convinced it will keep them healthy and prevent all sorts of diseases. Now, of course, there is NO scientific evidence that the increased levels found in grass fed beef will DO ANYTHING to the human species (prevent disease, etc) - the studies were all done in non-humans. To see some evidence about this read this very extensive tome from the union of concerned scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/ ... stures.pdf


About antibiotics, most grain-fed beef today comes from cattle that were treated with ADDED Hormones (no one is talking about the levels of natural hormones found in beef cattle, it is the extra added that are of concern), and most beef cattle for the retail market are fed a grain supplement that contains an ionophore, which is an antibiotic. No one says not to treat a true infection with an antibiotic, but if you do, then the animal goes into the food chain in a NON organic, NON Natural (natural hasn't been clearly defined by USDA, but generally means no antibiotics and no added hormones in the raising process), and NON grass-fed line according to the new grass-fed rule ,as I read it.

I am not promoting anything here, just trying to clarify the issues as I see them. I raise non-organic grain fed beef, but I keep up, as best I can, with what is going on because the "appetite" of the American consumer is changing and they are looking to small farmers to supply them with what they want - natural (no antibiotics and No added hormones) and grass fed beef. I am filling the "natural niche" in my area and getting paid well to do it.

Billy

 

[msscamp]

Plant grain crops, let them head out, then let the cows in to eat the "grass". They get grain and they are "grass fed" too. See where this goes? The only difference could be no feed lot.

You need to read the standards.

Producers that want to use the USDA grassfed label claim can't graze fields of corn, oats, or other grasses where the seed head has matured past a certain point.

No one can make me believe grass fed folks plow up natural grasses like wild rye to keep the cows from foraging it.

At the risk of adding more fuel to the fire - which is not my intent - I'm curious as to why you would assume that there are that many pastures that have naturally occuring wild rye (or any other type of wild grain, for that matter) growing in them?

 

[backhoeboogie]

At the risk of adding more fuel to the fire - which is not my intent - I'm curious as to why you would assume that there are that many pastures that have naturally occuring wild rye (or any other type of wild grain, for that matter) growing in them?

Mine do, on the river side. The lower flood plain is premium coastal. The perimiter around it has oats and rye every year. These two have never been planted there. With all the flooding this year, there is no telling what will be there come spring. It was completely underwater for over two months this year. But, on years when it is not flooded, there are many grasses on the outside edge that produce grains.

There are other things too, including wild onion etc. Freinds come to get those onions between the river and fence in the early spring.

The upper flood plain has been planted with oats, wheat, vetch, sudan, rye and a variety of mixed seed preparations from Turner Seed for both winter and summer with things included such as turnips etc. That field produces all types residual forages now. The cows are rotated on fields across the road during summer months as the lower coastal field produces horse quality hay. When you turn them into that side of the road in the fall (they are there now) the first thing they go after are the grains.

Both fields are very fertile with excellent loam. I have not planted the prepared seed mixes on them the last two years because of the feral hog problems. Nevertheless it attracts hogs just on residual growth. Part of the lower flood plain was overseeded with Hubam clover. Other than that, nothing was planted.

BTW, no fire to fuel on this end :lol: My only point is that grains are produced by grasses.

Across the road where the cows are most of the summer, rescue grass and wild rye grow naturally and obviously. No oats that I know of like on the other side.

 

[preston39]

................If you are eating natural beef, it still has hormones. My wife buys "Hormone free milk". Yeah right!

All we really want to do in the end is eat healthy foods - and grass seed (grains)

Backhoe...,

I don't understand your thought here about the hormones in natural beef.

Is your thought that natural beef has natural hormones...vs...implants?