Omega 6:3 From Stored Forage

Since 2016 we have been testing the Omega 6:3 ratio from our harvested “Pasture Grazed” beef. In past years we have made it a point to harvest our beef towards the end of the green grass season to optimize the Omega 6:3 ratio because we have learned:

1. If you see something green and growing = Omega 3 fats.
2. Omega 3 fats are perishable.
3. Omega 3 fats are lost when forage is stored (such as hay).

In the spring of 2021, we harvested two beef in mid-April. These beefs were in good condition grazing primarily “brown” stockpiled grass pasture and stored hay. The stockpiled pasture did have some early spring “green” growth, but the bulk of the cattle diet was from non-green forage. Would the Omega 6:3 meat analysis be significantly different from animals we harvest at the end of our green grass season?

Spring 2021 Update Omega 6:3 Data

As you can see from the Spring 2021 test results, we were pleasantly surprised with the beef maintaining a low Omega 6:3 ratio at 2.4 to 1. The spring 2021 result makes us think that as long as we are providing the herd some fresh pasture every day, even if the pasture is primarily brown stockpiled grass, the meat will continue to display low Omega 6:3 ratios. As we wrote about previously, during our non-growing season, we can find “green” in our pastures, even under snow!

We did collect a beef sample following our fall 2021 harvest that we will have analyzed soon. Watch for an updated chart to include the second sample from 2021.

Read all past posts related to Omega 6:3 ratio on this website.

Interested In A Deep Dive Into Omega 6:3 Fatty Acids?

Listen to brain scientist Dr. Richard Bazinet. How your food is produced may very well affect your health, including your brain.