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Grass fed Beef for Your Family’s Health

 

Grassfed beef yields the proper dietary ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids. Low in Omega-6 fatty acids, grass-fed beef lowers the risk of obesity, diabetes, cancer and immune disorders such as arthritis and asthma.   

 

To read more about health benefits of grassfed meats, including scientific references, visit eatwild.com.

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Grass fed Beef for the Planet's Health

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Cattle raised for Meadow Maid® Foods grassfed beef live in sync with nature, 
wildlife, and more than 140 species of birds (Mike is counting).

 

Grassland ecosystems are one of the most significant CO2 sinks on the planet. Pastures also minimize soil erosion.

 

Grazed grasslands are diverse ecosystems. 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.

 

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.

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Grass Fed Beef for the Cattle

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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.

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Grass Fed Beef Benefits Us, Too

 

Ridenour Ranch, our family ranch, 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.

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Meadow Maid Foods Grass fed Beef Pledge

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We pledge to raise our grass-fed beef:

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• Entirely on forages. We feed only on pasture - grass born, grass raised and grass finished. Hay is fed only during times of need. No grain, animal-byproducts or other non-forage feeds are ever fed. Only beeves fed entirely on forages for their entire lifetime should 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.

 

• While enhancing wildlife habitat, riparian areas, and wetlands.

 

• To be tender... tasty...delicious!  

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Meadow Maid Foods Vegetable Pledge

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We pledge that in our farming, handling, and marketing of our produce, we will:

 

• Reject the use of  synthetic pesticides, broad-spectrum pesticides - even if approved for organic culture, synthetic herbicides, synthetic fungicides, synthetic fertilizers, GMOs, hybrids, chemically treated seeds, synthetic toxic materials, irradiation, and sewage sludge;

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• Maintain and build healthy soils by farming practices that include annual crop rotation, use of compost, cover crops, and tillage reduction;

 

• Conserve natural resources by reducing erosion and pollution of air, soil, and water through responsible farming practices, by creation of wildlife habitat, and by encouraging bio-diversity;  

 

• Help preserve farmland and farming know-how, to treat farm workers with respect, sustain the land for future generations, and pass on our knowledge of sustainable farming practices.

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Mike and Cindy Ridenour are chemists turned ranchers. You never really take the chemist out of the lab, so we are constantly learning new ideas, and teaching what we know to others. Mary is currently a student at Texas A&M, and we are excited to watch her expand her horizons (the picture of the water-melon chowing Mary to the left is old but priceless).