Caring for Beef Cattle, The Planet & Our Communities

Links mentioned during this episode:

Previous episode talking steaks, burgers, types of cattle and animal use/waste https://groundedbythefarm.com/picking-out-steaks-under-appreciated-cuts-of-beef-part-1-feutz/

Video of Marybeth with the cows talking about feed https://groundedbythefarm.com/beef-cattle-farmer-veterinarian/

Marybeth’s website is myfearlesskitchen.com easy recipes you can make at home & great resources on meat especially

Experts on sustainability and the impact of animal agriculture include

• Dr. Jude Capper https://twitter.com/Bovidiva and https://bovidiva.com/
• Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam https://twitter.com/BioBeef and https://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/alison-van-eenennaam

Contact Lyles Station lylesstation.com and read more here https://www.indianalandmarks.org/2016/06/telling-the-story-of-lyles-station

That time I worked cows https://jploveslife.com/agriculture/animal-ag/city-slicker-working-cows-dakota-vacation-highlight/

Recipes from the Farm on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/recipesfromthefarm/

Additional Show Notes:

First time to do an interview via phone, so now I have a whole new set of lessons to learn about audio. Sorry occasionally the echo is rough here.

Stress in cattle can sometimes impact the meat. There are four things farmers do to minimize stress:

1. Provide enough of the right type of food — pasturing makes this pretty easy some times of year but you also have to consider the winter, etc and how much you need to supplement with hay, etc.
2. Insure a supply of clean water — Keeping it going year round can be a challenge with freezing, etc. but it is critical
3. Give them shelter — Windbreaks, maybe a three sided shed, all have the ability to help cattle with the cold and wind. In the summer, access to shade on hot days is critical. Amazing their herd instinct keeps most of them together even when it is so hot.
4. Pay attention to predators — The Feutz family has their cattle in small pastures closer to the house which helps as do dogs.

We discuss the health and care for beef cattle, how the decision differs from pets. How something simple for humans like a broken leg can create intense issues for a cow and how the herd mentality and need to keep moving really makes recuperation near impossible. As well as how flies which can seem pesky to us can present real health challenges if left uncontrolled in cattle.

Talk a bit about veal production and how that works, how Marybeth’s opinion has changed as she’s talk to veal producers and come to understand how they treat animals. The meat is different for a couple of reasons 1) veal calves are raised on milk so the meat stays a light pink color and 2) the calves have smaller areas to walk around in and consequently don’t get as intense muscular build so even short ribs are more tender.

Explains filet mignon placement and why it is tender vs short ribs.

Talk about cow farts, cow burps and the environment going into why cow farts aren’t a concern at all, but burps are methane releases from the fermentation process that naturally happens in the rumen. The information online Marybeth sees frequently is incredibly misleading because animal agriculture has such a small impact on climate and carbon, especially when compared to the various pieces of the energy and transportation.

Experts on sustainability and the impact of animal agriculture include

• Dr. Jude Capper https://twitter.com/Bovidiva and https://bovidiva.com/
• Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam https://twitter.com/BioBeef and https://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/alison-van-eenennaam

On manure management. They have started a program for containment & use of manure on their farm, the family’s garden and are donating some to an educational farm nearby called Lyles Station lylesst...