Defending Beef and the Humble Cow

Have you noticed that ALL beef and cattle commonly receive undue and unwarranted criticism?

Maybe you've noticed it yourself while scrolling Facebook or Instagram, watching the mainstream media, or in passing conversations around town.

Now, there certainly are truths to claims about the negative environmental impact of cattle and beef being mass-produced fatter and faster at overcrowded industrial, CAFO feedlots.

But that is NOT true of all cattle.

It's certainly not the case for the cattle being raised with regeneratively-focused practices here on our Indiana farm and at our trusted partner farms...OR on any of the thousands of incredible similar farms across the world who are collectively making a POSITIVE impact on the environment, while also producing a healthy end-product and providing a better life for these animals.

It's time for critics and the misinformed to stop painting with such a broad stroke. As a friend of mine likes to say... "It's not the COW it's the HOW!"

My brothers and I are in a unique position here with over 20 years of experience raising cattle in a way that improves our ecosystem and has recovered and created healthier, more vibrant soils. We did it first here on our 550-acre farm and now have expanded our soil-building capacity and footprint to meticulously selected partner farms that have a shared goal of regenerating soil with the help of the humble cow.

Why do I share this? A few reasons:

#1 It means we have a responsibility to empower, equip, and lead in this area so that more truths can be told and understood by the public and consumers.

#2 We want you to be confident and be at ease knowing that the 100% Grass-fed and Grass-finished beef you consume from our farm is not only delicious and nutrient-rich but also contributes to GOOD.

It's what that in mind that I wrote this article which celebrates the humble cow and the critical role that our cattle play in creating healthy ecosystems and defends beef.

I invite you to read these words, and I welcome your comments and feedback in the comments section below.

Let's get started with some fact-sharing and myth de-bunking. 🤠🤓

How Cows Improve Our Ecosystem

In several articles on our educational hub, we've claimed that the humble cow plays an integral role in improving the ecosystem at our farm, as well as the extended footprint of our partner farmer friends' soil who are co-laborers in such a big mission of regenerating soils and saving family farms.

Today, I get to PROVE how over the last 20 years we have recovered and created healthier, more vibrant soils by transitioning from a conventional farm to a regenerative-focused farm that produces beef and other proteins.

In doing so, I'll DISPROVE the claim that all cows and our type of cattle production are bad for the environment.

So, what's the proof that you're improving ecosystems?

As it turns out, there's a lot of science, testing, and objective data that we Indiana farmers rely on to demonstrate the measurable progress we've made over the last 20 years.

Here are four measures that Blake, Bruce, my dad (Lee), and our farm team track consistently to measure changes in our ecosystem which cows are accelerating through beneficial soil disturbance, regular managed grazing, and fertilization with their manure.

#1 Soil Organic Matter %
#2 Water Infiltration Rate
#3 Brix Scoring of our Forages
#4 Earthworms per cubic foot

Let's dive into each of these at a high level to see how we're doing...

Soil Organic Matter Percentage

Each year we send soil samples off to a lab that measures several things, one of which is the percentage of organic matter in our soil.

Most conventionally farmed soils measure only 1 to 2% soil organic matter, which is right about where we started in the early 2000s. But, after 20 years of regenerative practices, we’ve seen a massive increase in organic matter from 2% at the beginning, up to 4-6% today!! Carbon is literally being pumped from the atmosphere and into our soils which leads to healthy, nutrient-dense grasses and greater water-holding capacity.

This provides not only an optimal growing medium for our forage but also prevents water runoff and soil erosion more commonly experienced in conventional farming methods and CAFO feedlots.

Water Infiltration Rate

So, higher organic matter percent...check ✅

What's the benefit of that? Well, as I mentioned above, when you have more organic matter in your soil it allows far more water to be absorbed. In fact, for every 1% increase in organic matter, we can store 10,000 pounds of additional carbon and up to 20,000 gallons of water per acre.

While a lot of conventionally farmed soil infiltrates around only a 1/2 inch of water per hour, our souls can infiltrate up to 20 inches of water per hour.

A few years back we were fortunate to welcome Whole Foods executives to our farm for a pasture tour and soil health demonstration. It never gets old seeing guests of our farm experience light bulb moments during their visit, especially upon getting their hands into healthy soils.

That certainly was the case this day.

Now, there is just one subjective test I want to cover to evaluate the health of our ecosystem, soils and forage. You can even participate today on the device you're reading this articl from.

It's called the Eye Test. 👁️ 😁

Look at that top picture, that soil, and those dense, green grasses, and tell me that's not a thriving ecosystem!!!

I mean, don't you want the beef you consume to be grazing on pastures like this one?

BRIX Scoring

We’ve also seen a dramatic increase not only in the quantity of our grasses but also in the quality of the plants growing in our pastures. We track this using the BRIX scale - a measurement of sugars in the plant sap. While not a direct measurement, it's an indicator of the amount of available minerals and nutrients in the soil and the plant.

Our alfalfa brix score has increased over time from 13 to 20, which is a very good score.

The direct impact of better quality plants is this: More nutrient-dense grazing for our cattle ---> healthier animals ---> healthier food ---> and healthier end consumers.

Earthworms per cubic foot

When we started the transition to regenerative grazing 20 years ago, we saw counts of about 5 earthworms per cubic foot of soil. Our most recent counts show 20 to 30 earthworms per cubic foot.

I'll ask the question once again, "Why does this matter?"

For every 10 earthworms per cubic foot, there are up to 160,000 pounds of earthworm castings per acre produced every year. These castings have 5 to 10X the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium than normal soil aggregate.

That's why there are no synthetic fertilizers (or herbicides or pesticides) needed or EVER used on our farm and use minimal tillage. The last thing we want to do is disrupt the biology under our flourishing grasses.

There you have it, those are four objective measures we keep our eyes on to measure our progress :) If you're still reading, thank you!

If you skimmed the high points, or want a quick takeaway summary up until this point, then takeaway this: holistic planned grazing using cattle (and other livestock) makes it possible to sequester far more carbon in the soils than they emit. This not only creates a negative carbon footprint on our farm each year but also builds nutrients and resilience into our soils.

Now, let's move on to another topic near and dear to my heart - debunking myths about plant-based "meats."

The Illusion of Plant-based Meats 🤔

Let's start by talking about "plant-based" meats which really should be called grain-based foods if you look at the label.

On the outside looking in, plant-based "fake" meat substitutes give the impression of eating a wholesome, fresh product straight from a green garden flourishing under bright blue skies with chirping birds nearby. Sounds like utopia right?

False.

The fact is that the plant-based meat industry is largely propped up and heavily reliant upon UN-sustainable methods of farming at an industrial scale. And, we know the following about corn, soybeans, and peas - the staple ingredients of fake meat:

• They are produced with heavy amounts of chemicals
• They are produced with heavy amounts of fossil fuels as TONS of grains are harvested and transported
• They are produced with heavy amounts of tillage which releases carbon into the atmosphere and disrupts soil biology

By comparison, our farm continues its commitment to mimicking natural ecosystems that have been in place for literally thousands of years across the globe without the use of chemicals and minimal fossil fuels and tillage.

Our cattle, sheep, pigs, and hens are contributing to and creating healthy, natural sustainable environments as has been done by grazing, roaming ruminant animals without harming the environment for millennia.

I mean, take a look at our property line:

On the left, you see green pastures with soil that has been regenerated by 20 years of cattle grazing our lands.

On the right, you see a tilled field used for the types of annual crops needed for "plant-based" meat.

Before we found a better way of farming this was once how we managed our land as well.

Which would you say is a model of sustainability??
And people say cattle are bad for the environment?? Please...

Bottom line - don't be duped into thinking plant-based foods are better for the environment, among other things.

I've written a lot more about plant-based meat myths in our Seven Sons Plant-Based Meat Guide. I encourage you to read my thoughts where I debunk more myths, including that eating plant-based meat is a more ethical choice than eating animal proteins.

Ok, we've talked a lot about farming, but it's time to conclude with a topic a little closer to your plate, knife and fork 🍽️ 

Does Grass-fed Beef Taste Good?

Hayley, Sonsee, and the customer success team often receive these two questions:

#1 How does Grass-fed Beef Taste?
#2 Is Grass-fed Beef Healthier?

After all, you may have heard claims that grass-fed beef is "tough" and you've certainly heard claims that all beef is unhealthy. Let's knock these out one at a time starting with how we produce such tender, rich-flavored Grass-fed and Grass-finished beef.

Grass-fed Beef Taste

My brothers and I know there are many considerations when deciding where to buy beef. Being satisfied with the taste as you sink your teeth into a steak, burger or roast is surely one of them.

Truthfully, there are a number of decisions we've made over the last 20+ years of being a regenerative-focused farm that has helped us produce the high-quality beef we offer today. At the risk of oversimplifying our approach, when you raise hardy cattle on healthy farmland, you get tender beef with exceptional flavor and plenty of marbling WITHOUT the use of grain.

Since you've read the first part of this article, you know how committed we are to cultivating healthy farmland full of lush grass and other forages without the use of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers.

But, what about hardy cattle...and what does that even mean?

For us, it's all about time and attention to GENETICS and breeding cattle suited to a life of grazing.

If you visit our farm you'll see many different cattle breeds of different colors and sizes out on pasture. But what they have in common is several genetic attributes we select for.

One example is stomach capacity. Pasture-based cattle herds like ours MUST have high stomach capacity so that they can fill up on large amounts of forages. This allows them to naturally and completely nourish their body so they can comfortably ruminate for much of the day and gain weight.

Conversely, most beef cattle breeds are optimized for feedlots which means they have small stomachs meant to consume high energy, high starch grains to get that fatter faster.

My brother Blake (the 1st son) really has led the charge on our farm, and with our partner farms, as we continually aim to improve our cattle genetics, and consult with thought leaders and other farmers to keep producing a superior tasting Grass-fed Beef product for our customers.

To that end, we've even started to ultrasound our cattle herd so we can identify genetic attributes that have good tenderness and marbling that help us build an even better grass-fed gene pool.

Is Grass-fed Healthier?

Beef is generally considered a good source of vitamins, minerals, and protein, regardless of how it was raised.

However, decades of research studies demonstrate that high-quality grass-fed beef has a greater ratio of omega-3 fatty acids : omega-6 fatty acids (a ratio that's better for inflammation!!), as well as more vitamins and minerals than grain-fed beef.

While almost all beef cattle eat grass for at least part of their lives, GRAIN-finished cows can spend up to 6 months eating grain. While this is desirable for producers to bring products to market faster, the problem is the nutritional benefits of their former grass-based diet decline as soon as the cow enters a feedlot.

The cattle also move away from a healthy pasture environment with plenty of extra space to roam, exercise, and build strong immunity (like the one pictured below) to one of much greater stress, overcrowding, and no pasture access.

Not only does the shift to fewer omega-3 fatty and more omega-6 fatty acids begin, but they may accumulate residual toxins from antibiotics, hormones, and chemicals in their fat and organs.

This is verrrrrrry different from the rich, nutrient-dense fat you get from grass-fed beef.

BOTTOM LINE: The key difference is that the fat from 100% Grass-fed and Grass-finished Beef is nutritionally superior, with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and nutrients. At Seven Sons, we’ve found that by maintaining healthy, vibrant pastures, choosing cattle adapted to eat a grass-only diet, and continuing to improve our cattle gene pool, we can produce beef that is nutritionally-dense and full of flavor.

"Grass-fed" Beef Label Trickery

Why I am including this section in this article? Because I'm tired of customers getting duped. That's the last thing we need when trying to establish trust and gain momentum to change the food system.

Let's get right to the point...not all beef labeled "Grass-fed" is created equal.

I hate to burst some bubbles, but much of the beef you see sold as 100% grass-fed at retail stores and online may still be produced in feedlots and fed grain by-products.

How is this possible?? Here's how...

First, if you review the production protocols of the largest brands that claim “100% grass-fed” on their labels, you can easily see that they allow for grain by-products, including soy hulls, peanut hulls, beet pulp, DDGs (dried distillers grains), and many other non-starch grain by-products that help producers make these animals fatter, faster.

You see, cows are ruminant animals, meaning their digestive system is meant to digest tough plants like grass and weeds – NOT CORN, which is high in calories and relatively low in fiber.

Additionally, producers may start their cattle on grass (which is great!) but then transition to feeding them corn or grain by-products for a period of months leading up to harvest. I'm sorry but that's not Grass-fed beef, even though the cows ate grass for part of their life.

Our customers are savvy and know better. It's why one of the #1 questions we get is whether or not our beef is both grass-fed and grass-finished. The answer is YES.

At Seven Sons we ONLY sell 100% Grass-fed and Grass-finished Beef. Our cows never eat grain...and we wouldn't have it any other way.

In addition to the health benefits to the animal and end consumer, we don't want to contribute to the unsustainable methods of farming I outlined above that plant-based "meats" rely on.

Well, that's a wrap on this article. I sure hope you learned something in this series. When you decide you want some incredible beef in your freezer, we love to be your go-to farm.

Again, we welcome any questions you have below.