Some beef labels convey real information about the meat you’re going to be consuming. And some are just marketing terms…terms that will cause you to pay more without reaping any real benefits from the purchase.
We’ll also talk about how the labels don’t always tell the real story. For example, at Blessings Ranch, we don’t pay the USDA for the use of the word “organic.”
That’s because “organic” farming still allows for chemical and drug use. Meanwhile, our chickens free range across over three acres of pasture and are fed an organic, non-GMO organic layer pellet that is corn and soy free. We’d say our meat and eggs are cleaner than “organic” ones.
Let’s demystify the terms.
Certified
Certified just means the USDA has officially evaluated the product for class, grade, and quality.
Grass-Fed or Grass Finished
Grass-fed describes our beef. It indicates the animal has never been fed grain and has foraged in a pasture its entire life. It should also include a hormone-free lifestyle, but the USDA doesn’t require this.
Organic
Organic beef must be fed organic feed in pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer-free pastures. Their diet must be free of GMOs, synthetic hormones, and antibiotics. They must receive access to a pasture, but they’re allowed to eat grains. Certain chemical use and drug uses are allowed in organic beef and dairy farming.
Pasture-Raised
Pasture-raised simply means the cattle spends 120 days a year grazing, but they may receive supplemental feed and they may still be crowded into terrible conditions the rest of the year.
Natural
“Natural” just means the meant has been “minimally processed” and contains no artificial ingredients. All of our beef and poultry products could fall under this description.
Terms Which Can’t Be Used
USDA regulations prevent farmers and food manufacturers from using certain terms on their labeling.
- Chemical-Free
- No Hormones (for pork or poultry)
You can use “no antibiotics” and “no hormones” on beef, but you have to provide the USDA with a great deal of expensive documentation to do it.
Labels: No Substitute for a Visit to the Farm
Every label requires you to pay some organization to come out and verify your claims, whether it’s the USDA or another organization. Sometimes those payments represent an undue burden on small farms like ours.
And, as you’ve seen, the story behind those labels is often one of manipulation.
When you come out to visit the farm in person, you can evaluate animal welfare for yourself. You can decide for yourself if you like the conditions you see, the food they’re being fed, and the way that their health is maintained. You can look closely at the quality of the product and decide if you want to take it home with you. You can actually talk to the farmers and ask them questions.
No label can possibly be a substitute for that experience, especially as you’ll be supporting your local community while you do it.
So if you’re curious, step away from the labels and head on down to our farm every Thursday through Saturday to meet us and our animals in person! We’d love to have you.