What is it with grass fed beef? Well, there is a
lot of discussion and research on whether grain fed beef has balanced omega
3:6:9 and does this impact on human health? We have always pasture fed our
cattle and are convinced that perhaps we should stay with what we have
naturally occurring around us; good
quality grass. We are in a privileged position to have this and we are
always trying to keep the land in a regenerative
state.
The beef enterprise varies from backgrounding
for other producers, fattening young stock, cows and calves and/or breeding. We
usually run approximately 150-200 head per year (1800 to 2400 dse) from
September to June and turn off approximately 30,000 to 35,000 kg of beef each
year. Although we are not big producers in the New England
our farm is quite productive and the animals are grass fed with a free choice
mineral system in the paddock and live a happy and healthy life.
Our grazing program follows the principles of
Holistic Management as we allow sufficient recovery of plants before they are
grazed again. Our animals look forward to fresh food on a regular basis instead
of grazing over the same old paddocks month after month.
Stock are easy to move from paddock to paddock
as they follow the supplement cart or get to know that a visit means fresh
grass. The stock stay only one to a few days in each paddock, depending on feed
availability. This reduces worm burdens and over-grazing of plants. The regular contact with the animals means they remain quiet and we can check their general well being.
This season we have taken on backgrounding
cattle because we are still expanding our pasture fed egg enterprise and
learning to manage pastured pigs.
