Meadow Maid Foods Grass fed Beef and Love Me Tender Pork

Meadow Maid^® Foods Grassfed Beef Benefits... You, the Environment, the Cows, and Us. Our Grassfed Beef Pledge Processing and Packaging		Vegetable Pledge So, why aren’t we certified organic?

	Grass fed Beef for Your Family’s Health
	For the Heart: Grassfed beef is very nutritional and healthy for your heart! From the Heart: We love to share wholesome, delicious food with you. Lean, grass fed beef is lower in fat than grain-fed beef. Typically, a grassf-ed sirloin steak contains about one half to one third as much fat as a similar grain-fed steak. Rich in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) - a potent antioxidant which reduces cancer risk. In studies, CLA reduces tumor growth in laboratory animals, and lowers risk of breast cancer in women. Research also shows that natural sources of CLA (as opposed to pills) provide the best health benefits. Good Fats are found in Grassfed Beef. Low in Omega-6 fatty acids, grass-fed beef lowers the risk of obesity, diabetes, cancer and immune disorders such as arthritis and asthma. Grassfed beef yields the proper dietary ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids, unlike grain-fed beef. People who consume enough Omega 3 fatry acids reduce their risk for heart attack, high blood pressure, and irregular heartbeat. Additional benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids include lower risk for mental disorders, stroke, and cancer. Grassfed meat is high in Vitamin E. In a recent Colorado State University study, grassfed meat was shown to contain four times as much Vitamin E as feedlot beef. A powerful antioxidant, Vitamin E is associated with lower rates of heart disease and cancer. To read more about health benefits of grassfed meats, including scientific references, visit eatwild.com.
	In Harmony with Nature	top
	Cattle Frolic with Wildlife. Cattle raised for Meadow Maid^® Foods grassfed beef live in sync with nature, wildlife, and more than 100 species of birds. Pastures rather than Cropland. Grassland ecosystems are one of the most significant CO₂ sinks on the planet. Pastures also minimize soil erosion. Grazed Grasslands are Diverse. Moderate grazing produces greater plant species diversity than no grazing or lightly grazing (data from Colorado State University study). Pastured Animals Improve Soil Fertility. Cattle manure and urine boost soil fertility naturally when distributed fresh across pastures. Cows Harvest their Own Food. Letting cattle harvest their own food requires very little fossil fuel input compared to farming, trucking, storing, and feeding grains and other rations. Toxic Chemical Inputs are Eliminated. Pastures used to raise Meadow Maid^® Foods beef are never treated with chemical pesticides or herbicides. Furthermore, the cattle are never treated with toxic insecticides, as are most American cattle. Finally, chemical fertilizers, which stress natural ecosystems within the soil, are not used.
	Humane Treatment of Cattle	top
	Cattle graze year-round on pasture. Confinement periods are extremely limited. Stress during handling is minimized. Handling facilities are based on a modified Temple Grandin design (animal science professor at Colorado State University noted for her reduced-stress handling-facility designs). Most cows wean their own calves, eliminating the stress of forced weaning. Fresh grass, sunshine, reduced stress, and open spaces all combine to keep animals healthy. No growth hormones are added; no antibiotics are fed. Animals are not exposed to herbicide or pesticide treatments. These materials do not fit our philosophy.
	We Benefit, Too	top
	The Meadow Maid^® Foods partners also operate Ridenour Ranch, which supplies Meadow Maid^® Foods with grassfed beef. We enjoy the opportunity to live close to nature, in the open spaces. We savor delicious, clean, natural foods, and we are fortunate to provide such foods to customers who appreciate our methods, our way of life, and a clean environment. Thank you for supporting us.
	Meadow Maid^® Foods Grass fed Beef Pledge top
	Meadow Maid^® Foods grass-fed beef is produced to exacting standards. We pledge to sell grass-fed beef that is raised: Entirely on forages. We strive to feed only on pasture - grass started and grass finished. Hay is the only allowed feed supplement, kelp is used as a mineral supplement. No grain, cardboard, animal-byproducts or other non-forage feeds are ever fed. Only beeves fed entirely on forages can honestly claim the lean, high omega 3, high CLA, healthy, grass fed beef label. Without added growth hormones or antibiotics. Animals only receive antibiotics due to illness, and animals so treated are not sold as grassfed beef. Without chemical pesticides, herbicides or insecticides. Any treatment used on pasture or animals will comply with current organic standards. Ask us. To be tender... tasty...delicious! Meadow Maid^®Foods guarantees satisfaction or your money back! (You will be asked to return unused portions of the product.)
	Meadow Maid^® Foods Meat Processing top
	A small, custom USDA-inspected or equivalent state-inspected processing facility handles all of the Meadow Maid^® Foods meats. They treat the animals humanely, and use natural processing methods. Grassfed beef is dry aged to maximize tenderness and flavor.
	So, why aren’t we certified organic? Grass fed Beef and Jerky: We believe that our animal husbandry and pasture practices qualify for organic certification. But, we do not have access to a local, USDA-certified, organic processing plant. Even if our herd and pastures were currently certified organic, we would be unable to market as certified organic without the certified organic processing facility. If such a facility becomes available, we may evaluate their customer service and pricing, and determine whether certification is an economically viable option. However, many of our practices exceed organic standards, so why lower the bar? Natural Vegetables: At our current size, we believe that it would be cost prohibitive to certify organic. I sometimes purchase conventionally-raised seeds, although we never purchase treated seeds or seeds from genetically engineered crops. Some of our vegetable production practices actually exceed organic standards: we minimize use of non-sustainable inputs such as Alaskan permafrost soil. We do not use broad-spectrum pesticides, even if approved for organic use, as these may harm soil flora and beneficial insects. We use compost tea as a foliar spray to control disease, although NOP regulations do not allow this sustainable practice.