Real vs Fake Pasture-Raised: Can You Spot the Difference?

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February 8, 2024

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My guess is that you've already figured out where I'm about to go with this. When you hear "Pasture-Raised" what do you picture in your mind? It may not be what you are getting.

I wanted to take a minute to bring to light some of the major discrepancies between truly pasture-raised operations and those who are using it as a marketing tactic to pad their bottom line.

The photo above shows two different farms, both in Missouri. The farm on the left is a grower for a leading "Pasture-Raised" egg brand. The farm on the right belongs to - you guessed it - yours truly. Notice any differences between the two?

The Differences Between David's Pasture and Leading Brands

The USDA (the United States Department of Agriculture) currently defines Pasture-Raised as being synonymous with Free-Range, and Free-Range is defined as "having access to the outdoors." This definition allows farms to raise hens indoors until they begin laying eggs (approx 4 months), then continue raising them by the tens of thousands in large stationary barns with a small door by which they can access a dirt lot with no forage and label the eggs (or meat) as Pasture-Raised. But is this what you pictured when you saw Pasture-Raised on the label? That is exactly what's happening in the picture on the left.

Raised On Pasture

All poultry at David's Pasture - both meat and egg production - are raised on pasture. This is much different than being given "access to the outdoors", which does not require them to be on any forage whatsoever. In the photo above, you can see that the lot around the large barn is almost completely void of vegetation. And while the satellite image shows pasture paddocks around the barn, chickens raised primarily indoors don't like to travel. That's why our chickens are raised on pasture and moved regularly in portable housing as seen above, ensuring that they explore and get more bugs and forage in their diets. This also eliminates the health issues caused by raising thousands of chickens in barns.

Transparent Policies

The photo of the poultry house above was found by a fellow small farm after much digging, but I don't have the address. And when searching for farms producing for companies like Vital Farms, I came up empty. I ended up going to Google Maps and dragging until I stumbled upon a bunch of houses near Springfield, MO. Trying to find these farms is like looking for a needle in a haystack. What are they trying to hide? If companies like Vital Farms are so proud of their practices, why don't they advertise their farmers and offer tours?

At David's Pasture, we have nothing to hide because we believe in our practices and that we are doing right by our customers. We believe in holding each other accountable and love building relationships with you, which is why we host farm events where we give tours and explain the way we do things here. If you don't live within driving distance, I welcome you to check out our YouTube channel and social media for an inside look at our farm. You can also see the satellite imagery of the farm for yourself. This farm is about 2 miles from our main farm and office, which is located at 696 NE County Rd CC, in Concordia, MO.

Main Takeaway

Know your farmer, know your food. Today it's nearly impossible for us to purchase all of our food directly from the farm it was raised on, but it is still important that we find a source we can trust. Labels and pretty images are not inherently bad, but they can be deceiving.

This post is not meant to advocate for more regulation around marketing claims, although that is also worth discussing. My goal is simply to bring awareness to the deception that is taking place and offer a safer way to source your food.

At David's Pasture, you are buying directly from us - the families that produced your meats (and eggs)- and you are always welcome to visit. We are proud to provide you with a quality product from a source that you can trust.

Feel free to comment below with questions or reach me directly using our Contact page.

In good eating,

pasture

pasture-raised

food industry

Remi

eggs

chicken

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Why I Choose Grass-Fed & Finished Beef (by Tracey Long, MPH, RDN)

Hey guys, Remi here! This is a post from Tracey Long's blog that she gave me permission to share here. She works in integrative and functional nutrition at Big Picture Health. Tracey has seen many people's lives changed through their bettered understanding of food, including her own. Enjoy this article, and feel free to reach out to her if you are looking for guidance in your healing journey. Pictured on left: Cows raised on pasture by the Bauman Family near Garnett, KS.Pictured on right: Cows started on grass, but finished on grain/soy at a feedlot. 1. I believe in supporting local food, small family farmers and the economy. The average miles our food travels to reach our dinner plates is about 1,500 miles1. When we eat local we conserve fuel, keep our food dollars local and can have a personal connection to the farmer and how our food is raised. I subscribe to the mantra, know your farmer, know your food. Know your farmer, know your food 2. Cows are biologically meant to eat grass and pasture, not grains like corn or legumes like soy. When you feed an animal the food that it is biologically set up for it will be healthier. Cows are four-legged ungulates best adapted to graze on forage. The digestive system of cows, the four stomachs they have that we learned about in basic biology, are meant to ferment forage. Grains like corn and legumes like soy are used as high energy-dense food alternative for cows to put weight on them quickly for faster processing. This diet that is not congruent with the cow’s biology does work to speed up the process from start to finish, but can actually compromise the animal’s health. A review article by Calloway et al2 found that cows fed a diet high in grain had higher levels of the food-borne pathogen E. coli. When the diet was changed back to forage the E. coli levels were lowered within five days. A research study by Khafipour et al3 found that cows fed a diet based on grain became acidotic, and had high levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that triggered inflammation and health problems in the cattle such as liver disease. These are two scientific examples of how grain can be unhealthy for cows. 3. Grazing cattle from start to finish is better for the environment and planet. You may be interested in reading the book by Judith Schwartz, “Cows Save the Planet.”4 Judith discusses how raising cows on pasture returns moisture and nutrients to the soil and, therefore; our food. Cattle feedlots are also a significant source of environmental pollutants such as antibiotics that affect downstream aquatic life and hormones that end up in the drinking water supply as additional examples.5,6 Feedlots use antibiotics and hormones to encourage rapid and increased growth and require antibiotics to suppress illness due to the confined living space and large buildup of fecal matter. Pastured cows arguably have less negative impact and even reported positive impacts on the environment. 4. I believe in respecting and honoring the animals I eat. As humans we have the capacity to treat animals poorly for our benefit (food) or treat them in a thankful manner for the nourishment they provide us. Joel Salatin, a well-known sustainable farmer in Swope, Virginia, said in a magazine interview, “Our first responsibility is to try to figure out what kind of a habitat allows them (cows) to fully express their physiological distinctiveness. The cow doesn’t eat corn; she doesn’t eat dead cows; she doesn’t eat cow manure, which is what is currently being fed to cows in the industrial food system. We feed cows grass, and that honors and respects the cow-ness of the cow.7” Joel Salatin 5. Pasture raised and finished beef has a healthier fatty acid profile than conventional beef. The standard American diet is high in omega 6 fatty acids relative to omega 3 fatty acids. The problem is that omega 6 fatty acids, when out of balance with omega 3’s are highly inflammatory to the human body. Inflammation is now known to be the root of many chronic diseases. The good news is that the fatty acid composition of grass fed and finished beef is higher in the beneficial and anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef. A study by MacAfee et al found that people who ate grass-fed meat had higher levels of the anti-inflammatory omega 3’s when their blood was tested for this healthy fat.8 David (founder) and Reeves Kesten at the Brookside Farmers Market, 2017 Meet David and his [second] son Reeves, of David’s Pasture, from Concordia, MO. I am grateful for the opportunity to purchase quality meat, pork, poultry and eggs from a farming family like Dave’s. Dave’s cattle are raised on pasture and get to express their, “cow-ness,” as Joel Salatin would say. Dave shared with me that he even feeds his cattle organic apple cider vinegar to improve their gut health and does not use hormones or antibiotics. His cattle fertilize the land they forage on and he rotates their grazing to promote healthy soil. Yes, I pay more for the products I buy from Dave than I would pay at the local grocery store, but for the reasons I listed above I know the price is worth it!Original post by Tracey Long, MPH, RDN at Big Picture Health. Specializing in integrative and functional nutrition. Re-posted here by Remington Kesten, David's Pasture. Grass-fed & finished Beef delivered to your door.