Pasture-Finished Beef
By Matt Tiefenbrun
What is Pasture-Finished
Beef?
• Raising Beef Cattle strictly on forages
– Generally Naturally Raised or Organic
– Generally Management-Intensive Grazing
History of Pasture-Finished
Beef (PFB)
- Beef cattle were originally raised and finished
on forages
- As early as the 1950s, beef cattle started to
be finished on a high energy high grain diet.
- The popularity of PFB is growing again
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Strategies for Raising PFB
• Watering Systems
– Tire tanks
– Gravity feed systems
• Grazing Strategies
– Management intensive
– Continuous grazing
– Stockpiling
• Health
– Parasite Control
– Disease Control
• Breed
Benefits of PFB for Farmer
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Conservation
Profit
Pride in Product
Symbiosis
Ethical Treatment of Animals
Conservation
• Keeping forages much healthier
• Bring back native species of grasses
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Profit
• Higher profits if managed correctly
-Hay costs
-Higher price for meat
-Usually directly marketed
Pride in Product
• If you have pride in product its easier to
market and sell
• Feel good about selling quality healthy
meat
Symbiosis
• Raising different species to benefit each
other
Ethical Treatment of Animals
• A happy cow is the best kind of cow
Benefits of PFB for
Consumers
• Health
• Community
• Ethical Treatment of Animals
Benefits to your Health
• PFB has 3 to 6 times more CLA(conjugated
linoleic acid) than conventional feedlot cattle
• PFB is also higher in Omega-3 fatty acids
compared to omega-6 fatty acids
• Lower in fat
• Usually there are no antibiotics or growth
hormones
• Cows lead much healthier lives
Benefits to the Community
• The community can get quality fresh
product
• Gives people jobs
• Keeps small farms around
• Connects consumers with the source of
their food
Benefits for Animals
• Cows live natural lives
Environmental benefits
• Can bring back native grass species
• Evenly distributes manure and urine
over field
PFB Challenges
• For Farmer
–Marketing
• Can be hard to find reliable buyer
–Land
• Expensive
• Need high quality pasture
Challenges for
Consumers
• Palatability
– Tenderness
– Stronger flavor
• Price
– More expensive
• Availability
– Can be hard to find
Different techniques based on
PFB
• Grain supplementation
– Giving grain supplements while still on
pasture
• Feeding whole corn plants
– Put cheap gains on cattle but still keep a
healthy cow
Conclusion
• Healthy alternative to conventional
feedlot beef
• Brings communities together
• Gives back to the environment instead
of taking away from it
Questions?