Discussion of Bluegrass Burger review

Justin,

Not to directly contradict what was quoted but I would hardly call this an unbiased source. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not trying to be argumentative...or somehow trying to convert people (back) to the dark side. Ya'll got this "local" thing going...and I'm cool with that. I'm just trying to get a handle on why (some of) this stuff comes in a such a hefty price. Relating a prior experience, I have a friend who runs a hundred of so head of Angus on leased land in MN and SD (where ever he can get the cheapest pasture). These things wander around doing freelance "cow stuff" for about a year and a half and then the last 5 or 6 months he sends 'em off to be "finished" ("fattened up" if you will). They then take 'em to the local processor, who shoots their ass (which is just as freaking "humane" as putting 'em down by making 'em listen to Barry Manelow music...or whatever it is "humane" folks do to kill the damn thing)) and then they get butchered. He then sells the stuff "Farmers Market" style for (as I recall) 10-15% below grocery store prices. So aside from his cows doing 6 months at the "Fat Farm" I'm at a loss to see how he somehow manages to sell his locally produced beef (roughly) 40% cheaper than our locally produced beef ?

[Robin Garr]

So aside from his cows doing 6 months at the "Fat Farm" I'm at a loss to see how he somehow manages to sell his locally produced beef (roughly) 40% cheaper than our locally produced beef ?

It might be that some of us accept a social bargain in which we're willing to help subsidize small local farmers by paying a just price rather than nickel-diming them into having to compete on equal terms with big agra?

I don't know of any study that demonstrates a direct health link between "regular" beef and grass fed "local" beef. If you have a controlled peer reviewed study I'd love to read it.

Given what people choose to put in their bodies on a routine basis - I'm a skeptic that minute traces of antibiotic or hormones (which denature in the cooking process) have any measurable health impact.

Steve-

Not all the locals have prices in the stratosphere that I see mentioned here and on various local beef websites For example, my local beef and eggs guy has grain fed (no feedlot)no hormones, no antibiotics. His is a closed herd where every animal is born and raised on the farm, so every animal can be traced from birth to slaughter...important consideration when the next mad cow or E. Coli scare comes along

That said his prices compare favorably with our local groceries...Hamburger @ $2.50/lb, Boneless Ribeyes @ $9.00, T-Bones @ $ 8.00.

Even better, I can get my exercise and walk a mile or so to his farm and avoid high petrol prices.

Lucky 'Winger

Steve P,
My dad raised free-range grass-fed beef (though that was long before those terms were in use), and we had a slaughterhouse. And he would occasionally trade off his beef for some grain-fed beef (he preferred it). The trade was about 2:1 . . . a whole of our beef for a side of theirs. BUT my dad, by his own admission, raised beef and kept a farm as a tax shelter (though he LOVED to farm), and didn't expect to do much more than be able to keep doing it. Never made a profit, not even close. His furniture store did that . . .
I guess my point is that if he'd had everything riding on the beef, and had to actually make living off of it . . . not just have it pay for itself, but support a family, etc . . . even then the beef would have had to triple in value, by my best reckoning, which would have made it more expensive than grain-fed even then, when there was no real market for it.
That's a fuzzy way to get to my point (if I got there) . . . make sense?

So aside from his cows doing 6 months at the "Fat Farm" I'm at a loss to see how he somehow manages to sell his locally produced beef (roughly) 40% cheaper than our locally produced beef ?

It might be that some of us accept a social bargain in which we're willing to help subsidize small local farmers by paying a just price rather than nickel-diming them into having to compete on equal terms with big agra?

I don't know that I'm buying people are willing to pay more just to help out the local farmers. That is part of the equation, but the lack of hormones and steroids is the biggie for me. I also feel that the meat is safer. I like knowing that I'm eating a cow that roamed around in a field of grass vs. one that stood knee deep in a river of waste.

As to why your friend can sell grass fed meat cheaper than feed lot meat, I have no idea. Maybe the price of land or maybe Louisville is getting shafted on grass fed meat and gas prices.

Robin (or anyone),
I've recently started adding more meat to my diet after a long time of being mostly vegetarian (trust me). And I'm trying to stick to meat from ethically raised healthy local animals myself . . . Anybody know of a good resource for finding it, in restaurants and stores? Many thanks!

Paul, the farmers' markets are a great resource - Bardstown Road has Dreamcatcher, Fiedler and Stonecross.

Don't forget Kentucky Bison Co. at Bardstown Road.

So aside from his cows doing 6 months at the "Fat Farm" I'm at a loss to see how he somehow manages to sell his locally produced beef (roughly) 40% cheaper than our locally produced beef ?

It might be that some of us accept a social bargain in which we're willing to help subsidize small local farmers by paying a just price rather than nickel-diming them into having to compete on equal terms with big agra?

OK...So NOW we get to the crux of the biscuit. So what I hear you saying then is that it's all about local and all about a "fair" return (and I am SO down with fair returns)...I'm starting to get the flick but I'm curious...How does one go about defining a "fair return" ?

Do any of the locals sell fresh beef - the frozen aspect of it bothers me.

Mark,
The "regular" vs. "grass-fed local" is about a lot more than just health issues, at least for me.
- It's about ethics. I accept the fact that life feeds on life, but needless cruelty in the process reduces us as ethical beings.

-Local farms. A great tradition. They tend to care more about the environment and the land (and communities) around them than big agribusiness corporate farms.

-Excessive hormone and antibiotics use has been shown to cause a myriad of health problems for cows (see the ethical aspect), and I personally don't want to eat meat from sick animals. And the proliferation of growth hormones and antibiotics in the industry has been a direct result of horrible conditions in feed lots and a desire to maximize profit.

Yes, the studies have been inconclusive as far as health links, but is cheap meat worth all the rest?

I don't know of any study that demonstrates a direct health link between "regular" beef and grass fed "local" beef. If you have a controlled peer reviewed study I'd love to read it.

Given what people choose to put in their bodies on a routine basis - I'm a skeptic that minute traces of antibiotic or hormones (which denature in the cooking process) have any measurable health impact.

Steve P,

That's a fuzzy way to get to my point (if I got there) . . . make sense?

Makes perfect sense...and again, not trying to stir the pot...more just playing devil's advocate (figuratively speaking of course), that and I'm just trying to get a handle why some folks have such strong feelings about this. The fact that they do is perfectly fine with me.

Do any of the locals sell fresh beef - the frozen aspect of it bothers me.

Mark,

Not to worry...as long as it's frozen in an Energy Star appliance, you should be fine.

I don't know that I'm buying people are willing to pay more just to help out the local farmers. That is part of the equation, but the lack of hormones and steroids is the biggie for me. I also feel that the meat is safer. I like knowing that I'm eating a cow that roamed around in a field of grass vs. one that stood knee deep in a river of waste.

As to why your friend can sell grass fed meat cheaper than feed lot meat, I have no idea. Maybe the price of land or maybe Louisville is getting shafted on grass fed meat and gas prices.

I agree with Justin's, Paul's, Robin's... et al comments. I'd like to add that I think it it just tastes gooder.

I don't know of any study that demonstrates a direct health link between "regular" beef and grass fed "local" beef. If you have a controlled peer reviewed study I'd love to read it.

Given what people choose to put in their bodies on a routine basis - I'm a skeptic that minute traces of antibiotic or hormones (which denature in the cooking process) have any measurable health impact.

There is direct evidence that America’s epidemic of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer is linked to the foods we eat

They didn't say beef only, all foods, like you stated, have a impact. Surely cutting out some of the antibiotics, hormones, pesticides (organic fruits/veg), and fats would improve overall health.


http://www.csuchico.edu/grassfedbeef/re ... fits.shtml

Research spanning three decades suggests that grass-based diets can significantly improve the fatty acid (FA) composition and antioxidant content of beef, albeit with variable impacts on overall palatability. Grass-based diets have been shown to enhance total conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (C18:2) isomers, trans vaccenic acid (TVA) (C18:1 t11), a precursor to CLA, and omega-3 (n-3) FAs on a g/g fat basis. While the overall concentration of total SFAs is not different between feeding
regimens, grass-finished beef tends toward a higher proportion of cholesterol neutral stearic FA (C18:0), and less cholesterol-elevating SFAs such as myristic (C14:0) and palmitic (C16:0) FAs. Several studies suggest that grassbased diets elevate precursors for Vitamin A and E, as well as cancer fighting antioxidants such as glutathione (GT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as compared to grain-fed contemporaries. Fat conscious consumers will also prefer the overall lower fat content of a grass-fed beef product.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the taste of local grass-fed beef vs. grocery store? We try to eat local as much as we can ( with a family of four), and don't eat a huge amount of beef. But since I've been buying/eating locally raised beef ( Harned Ranch/Dreamcathchers/Asbourne Farms), I have become more and more enamoured with the TASTE of this (leaner) meat. I find the flavor outstanding- and have moved to totally local beef for ground beef with that as the primary reason. This stuff tastes so much more meaty and richly flavored. We feed our family of four last night on a $11.90 sirloin from Harned ( seasoned only with Rosemary Salt); it was outstanding- and we have leftovers for sandwiches. For ground beef at $4.50 a lb from the farmer as opposed to $2.99-$2.50 for ( lean) Kroger/Meijer meat, there is no comparison.

(Go try the Burger at Harvest to see just how amazing good local beef is- really!)

Deb