DS Family Farm
Worried about what you are "really" eating? Have peace of mind with pasture grazed meats.
Summary of the Laboratory Analysis of Our Pasture Grazed Beef
This is the third and final post discussing our beef compared to “typical” beef. If nothing else, I have learned a great deal about the role of fat in my diet as I complete this summary of the laboratory analysis of our Pasture Grazed Beef. When I asked Midwest Labs to analyze our beef, I specifically requested a report of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), see our “Power Fat” blog post from April 2014 on this all important fat component. Unfortunately they were unable to analyze CLA specifically. So what is CLA and what can we tell from the data we have?
Estimating CLA
Conjugated linoleic acid is a form of rearranged omega-6 linoleic acid (LA). The rearranged LA (CLA) appears to be anti-cancer where as our earlier post pointed out omega-6 fatty acids, like LA, are inflammatory. So the more LA converted to CLA the better! This conversion is more dramatic for animals that spend a larger part of their life on green forages. For a run down of CLA and grassfed meats, refer to the CLA page at EatWild.com and this CLA document at BeefResearch.org.
So what can we deduct from the laboratory data we have for our Pasture Grazed Beef sample vs. the two “typical” beef samples for CLA?
- The Beef Research document notes “the total CLA content of beef varies from 0.17 to 1.35% of fat”.
- Remember, we are comparing 3 lean beef samples with comparable levels of total fat (nutrition label).
- We have established our beef matches grassfed characteristics and the typical beef matches grain fed.
- The Eat Wild information notes that grassfed beef will have 3 to 5 times more CLA than grain fed.
- For our estimates we will use 1.25% CLA in our grassfed fat and (1.25/3=0.42) 0.42% CLA in typical beef fat.
- This will put our beef just below the high range for CLA content and only 3 times more than the typical beef.
- Using our four ounce serving size nutrition label.
- DS Family Farm Beef = 9.5 grams fat * 0.0125 = estimated CLA of 0.13 grams.
- CNF 6068 Typical Beef = 8.4 grams fat * 0.0042 = estimated CLA of 0.04 grams.
- USDA 23271 Typical Beef = 9.5 grams fat * 0.0042 = estimated CLA of 0.04 grams.
Another note of interest is that CLA is fairly stable under most cooking and storage conditions. All of the facts and figures presented in these three posts have been on raw meat analysis. I’ll keep “what happens during cooking” for a future blog post. From what I hear, during cooking we loose more Omega 3 than Omega 6 which will raise the final Omega 6 to 3 ratio.
Is There Really A Difference Between Grassfed and “Typical” Beef?
I think we can say, “Yes” there is a difference. From the laboratory, to the field, to the animal and to the taste, many folks will tell you, yes, there is a difference.
The question becomes, “Is the difference enough to make a difference?”
If you are interested in grassfed meat for your health, here is a 2010 study where eating grassfed meats (beef and lamb) increased the study groups blood omega 3 values. (Cambridge Press link). Note in this study there was not much CLA difference in any of the beef, but the lamb was off the charts (higher) for CLA!
If you ask for my opinion, I would have to say “I don’t know” if the difference is enough to make a difference. There appears to be some good indicators that grassfed meat does have health benefits but as my “Health Nut Highway” friend would tell me, we are all “biochemically different”. If grassfed meat makes you feel better, than yes it does make a difference!
Looking to improve your health:
- Eat whole foods, locally produced and minimally processed.
- Reduce sugars, starches, vegetable oils, stress and toxic relationships.
- Increase your intake of animal protein and fats!
- 100% Grassfed preferable (I am biased).
- But any animal that has access to grass for a significant part of their lifespan should be just fine.
The old adage applies, “if you don’t measure it you can’t manage it”. These results show that our management is headed in the right direction. Our beef definitely fits the “healthy profile” as promoted by the grassfed beef industry. We will leave you with a graphic of our beef nutrition label. Note this graphic depicts an eight ounce ribeye steak (four ounce sounds kind of small to me).
A summary of all three “Fatty Acid Analysis” posts PDF.
Grassfed beef – fat analysis – omega 6 to 3 ratio
The previous blog post was a little heavy on charts (PDF with all charts) from the laboratory analysis of one of our pasture grazed ribeye steaks. In this post I continue the comparison of our grassfed beef to two “typical” beef samples. First of all let’s summarize some of the discussion and charts from the earlier post, then we will address polyunsaturated fats:
Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA)
In Chart 1 (previous post), our grassfed beef sample had higher SFA (~60% of fat) when compared to typical beef (~40% SFA). When we looked specifically at the break down of SFAs in Chart 2:
- Grassfed beef had a higher percentage of palmitic acid, used in the complex process of cell communication.
- Grassfed beef had a lower percentage of stearic acid, in our body this is converted to oleic acid, see below.
- Saturated fat is the preferred energy source of the heart.
- You probably knew our liver protects us from toxins but did you know saturated fat protects our livers!
- Since the early 1900s the food supply has not changed much in available SFAs, 50 gm/day vs. 56 gm/day (2004). +
- If fats are causing health changes in our population, SFA must not be the source of change.
- Finally as the Ohio State study points out, eating carbohydrates raise saturated fat levels in the blood but eating good portions of saturated fats does not raise SFAs in the blood (carbs are the problem, not fat).
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA)
- Our grassfed beef sample had lower MUFA (~35% of fat) when compared to typical beef (~50% MUFA) (Chart 1).
- The primary MUFA for both grassfed and typical beef is oleic acid or olive oil (Chart 3).
- MUFA has been found to be the main fat in fatty tissue.
- Palmitoleic acid is the next MUFA found and is lowest in our grassfed beef vs. typical beef. Palmitoleic is the fatty acid the OSU study considers the most problematic when looking at human blood levels.
- Early 1900’s, Americans obtained 42% of their MUFA from fats/oils and 40% from meat/poultry/fish. +
- In 2004 Americans obtained 63% of their MUFA from fats/oils and only 22% from meat/poultry/fish. +
- The American food supply has increased in the use of vegetable oil MUFA by two-thirds while decreasing MUFA from meat by one-half.
- Overall MUFA in early 1900s = 47 gm/day in the food supply vs 79 gm/day in 2004 (+), an overall increase of MUFA by 60%!
- Appears like we have too much MUFA in our food these days, especially from vegetable oils.
- If fat is causing health changes in our population it may be due to over consuming MUFA.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) – Grassfeds Claim To Fame
- Our grassfed sample had the same Total PUFA when compared to typical beef (4%) (Chart 1), but looking at Chart 4 above, you will immediately note a difference in the PUFA makeup.
- The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are both important in small amounts and the correct ratio!
- These “fatty acids are also precursors of eicosanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes), which are hormone-like compounds that regulate blood pressure, heart rate, vascular dilation, blood clotting, lipolysis, and immune response”. ++
- Omega 6s are for inflammation, such as blood clotting during an injury.
- Omega 3s are for anti-inflammatory functions during healing.
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential because unlike SFA and MUFA, our bodies cannot make these, we must consume PUFA in the food we eat.
- Since we must consume these, it is a good thing we need just tiny amounts: “the requirement for essential fatty acids is infinitesimal under most conditions and can be easily met by eating a diet that includes traditional whole animal foods without necessarily adding any specific fats or oils.”++
- A current concern of PUFAs is omega 6 intake. With the reduced consumption of animal fats and eggs over the past few decades and an increase in vegetable oil consumption (corn and soy), the average American has too much omega 6 compared to omega 3s. Our bodies are constantly in a state of inflammation (Times Magazine 2004 “Fires Within” highlighted this issue).
- In 1995-2000 data, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the food supply = 9.7:1. +++
- “This is much higher than the recommended ratio of 2.3:1.” +++
- Here is why grassfed meats have a claim to fame, note our steak with an omega 6 to 3 ratio of 2.0:1 matches the recommended ratio.
- Both typical beef samples have an omega 6 to 3 ratio that exceeds the U.S. food supply as a whole (12:1 and 17:1).
- Another possible problem with PUFAs is just plain over consumption resulting in oxidative stress.
- “PUFAs are uniquely vulnerable to oxidation because they are the only fatty acids with two or more double bonds, and it is the carbon that lies directly between two double bonds that is vulnerable to oxidation”. ++
- “The consumption of excess PUFAs increases oxidative stress”. ++
- Early 1900s = 13 gm/day in the food supply of PUFA vs 37 gm/day in 2004 (+), an overall increase of 35%.
- Do you think we are currently overconsuming PUFAs?
- Maybe too much of a good thing?
- Remember our need for PUFAs is “infinitesimal under most conditions”.
Summary and Lead In To Our Next Post
I apologize for referring back to the charts from the previous post (as one PDF document) and multiple references to numbers through percentages etc. If this is something you are really interested in, then I have tried to give some data and sources that can help you along your way. If you are like my wife Sheila, this maybe a little more info than you are looking for.
Here are some things for you to consider up to this point:
- Saturated Fats from meat/eggs/poultry is not the problem it has been portrayed to be and has not increased over the past century in our food supply.
- High Carb diets (low fat diet) causes increased saturated fat in the blood stream (OSU Study).
- Reducing meat consumption and increasing vegetable oils use in the U.S. has led to:
- Overall increased consumption of MUFAs.
- This fat is hard for us to burn.
- Overall increased consumption of PUFAs.
- Vegetable oils are high in omega 6s and has thrown our ratio of omega 6 to 3 far above the recommended levels (possibly causing a continuous state of low grade inflammation in our bodies).
- PUFAs are very important but at very small quantiles, over consumption can cause oxidative stress.
- Overall increased consumption of MUFAs.
Our next post will be a Fat Finale and we will look at:
- The all-important Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA).
- Give a final overview of what you get with one of our grassfed steaks.
- Give you some final food for thought on grassfed vs. typical beef.
- Hiza, H.A.B., & Bente, L. (2007). Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply, 1909-2004: A Summary Report. (Home Economics Research Report No. 57). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
++ Precious Yet Perilous – Weston A Price Foundation website, 2010 article.
+++ Gerrior, S., Bente, L., & Hiza, H. (2004). Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply, 1909-2000. (Home Economics Research Report No. 56). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
Grassfed vs Conventional Beef – Voodoo or The Difference is Real?
I recently visited with a friend who shed some weight over the past year, when I asked how he lost the weight, he replied “improved my diet”. He obviously “gets it”, notice he didn’t say he was on some kind of “diet” he just changed to a “healthy diet”. One specific diet change he mentioned was that he was eating grassfed beef rather than conventional beef. We discussed the “known” benefits of grassfed and then he pointed out that his son, who raises conventional beef, refers to grassfed as “Voodoo Beef”!
With our first Pasture Grazed, 100% grassfed beef in the freezer, it was time to find out for ourselves, is there really a difference between a pasture grazed beef compared to typical (corn-fed) beef?
We sent in a rib steak (ribeye after removing the bone) from a 2015 harvested steer to Midwest Laboratories in Omaha Nebraska for analysis. With the results in hand I searched out some “typical” beef analysis to compare our pasture grazed beef with. It didn’t take long and I had two similar† “reference” samples from the USDA and Canada nutrient databases. Below we compare a DS Family Farm Pasture Grazed steak to some “typical beef” steaks – Canada record 6068 and USDA record 23271.
Let’s Talk FAT!
- Trans Fat? Yes there is natural Trans Fat in beef, not the added hydrogenated vegetable oils (bad stuff).
- Looking at the above three samples, I believe the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules would allow all steaks to be labeled as ZERO TRANS FAT since they are all 0.5 or less. So when you check any food product label, if it says ZERO TRANS FAT, it may actually not be “zero”.
- Always avoid food items with any ingredient listed as “partially hydrogenated“.
Warning – pie charts below!
- Chart 1 – ALL FATS – do not fear good grassfed fat!
- I was once brain washed with the “fat is bad for you” message. I believe more folks are understanding it is High Carbohydrate Diets (Low Fat diets) that can be linked to heart disease and diabetes. This study at Ohio State University points out:
- Increasing levels of carbs in diet during the study promoted a steady increase in blood fatty acids.
- Carbs are being converted to fat instead of being burned as fuel.
- Reducing carbs and adding (good/portions) fats ensures the body will promptly burn saturated fat as fuel. (This will take a resetting period for your body to switch between using carbs vs. fat for energy).
- Please watch the OSU video that points out your brain is 60% fat! Eat fat to fuel your brain!
- Chart 1 displays a noticeable difference between SFA – Saturated Fatty Acids versus MUFA – Monounsaturated Fatty Acids in grassfed vs. conventional, we will look at these individually below.
- Chart 2 – SATURATED FATTY ACIDS (SFA)
- Note in Chart 1 = 60% of the fat from our pasture grazed beef is SFA vs. around 50% of typical beef is SFA.
- Chart 2 = two main SFA, Palmitic (tropical oil) and Stearic is better balanced (?) in our beef versus typical beef.
- Tropical (palmitic) oils are gaining favor with nutrition folks, get yours from our Midwest 100% grassfed beef!
- Chart 3 – MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (MUFA)
- Note in Chart 1 = 35% of the fat from our pasture grazed beef is MUFA vs. around 50% of typical beef is MUFA.
- Chart 3 = primary MUFA is oleic acid, also known as Olive Oil.
- Grassfed has a higher percentage of the SFA Palmitic (good fat, chart 2) but a lower Palmitoleic MUFA (bad fat, chart 3).
- According to the OSU study, in humans, “Palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid associated with unhealthy metabolism of carbohydrates that can promote disease”. Could this apply to cattle also?
- Chart 4 – POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFA)
- Note in Chart 1 = 4% of the fat from all three sample is PUFA.
- The Holy Grail of Fatty Acids
- The Essential Fatty Acids
- Notice a difference? Hint – a balance of green & yellow is recommended.
Stay tuned we will dive in to the PUFAs in our next post!
† I selected these reference samples because they were of the same part of the beef. We sent in a Rib Steak which is a Ribeye with a rib bone still attached. The bone was removed, so our sample was a ribeye when analyzed. I consider our beef lean so the selected reference samples used were identified as “lean”. We are still building our soils and forages and striving for higher fat (marbling) percentages in our beef.
Note, I am not an expert on fats nor statistical analysis. Feel free to dive into the Government data and check my calculations for the two samples listed above. If you find any discrepancies, please email me: doug@dsfamilyfarm.com. If you have comments please share them on our Facebook Page.
Omnivores Relax With Real Food
Omnivores, relax with real food! This was the take home message we found in last evenings PBS documentary “IN DEFENSE OF FOOD”, featuring well known food journalist Michael Pollan.
We thought the documentary was well done and echo the main point of the film, when it comes to eating, just relax and eat food, that is – real food. The stuff you find in the middle of the grocery store is what Pollan calls “edible food like substances”. Focus on the “edges” during your grocery store visits to find real food. Refer to our blog post on this topic from January 2014 “How to shop for a healthy diet”.
Other points from “IN DEFENSE OF FOOD“:
- Eat Traditional Foods, these are time tested (2013 blog post)
- Watch your portion size
- If you don’t know your current daily food intake levels, I encourage you to find out. I was surprised to learn what my daily calorie intake was compared to what was suggested for my height and weight (June 2015 blog post).
- (2021 Update) With updated information and a switch in diet to higher Protein intake, portion sizes are no longer an issue.
- East mostly plants (Eat the rainbow blog post)
- (2021 Updated) Though we were happy at the time of this documentary, that “Real Food” was being promoted, we generally don’t agree with the point to eat “mostly plants”. Especially based on more recent information. Per the bullet below, for most of us, pasture grazed animals as a source of nutrient dense protein and fats are the key to human health. Granted, we are all biochemically unique.
- The documentary points out the health benefits of meat from pasture grazed animals
- You have heard, you are what you eat!
- “We are what what we eat eats too.” Michael Pollan.
- In other words, we can’t eat the nutritional diversity of a prairie… but we can eat something that is capable of eating the nutrition of a prairie!
- A bite of our pasture raised and grazed beef allows us to eat the prairie.
- “We are what what we eat eats too.” Michael Pollan.
I basically started on the above described Omnivores path several years ago. I took it to the next level by incorporating the portion size advise (including fasting) this past year (described in June 2015). Six months later I am happy to report my weight and health has been maintained.
As you look forward to the new year are you considering another “Diet Resolution”? If you find yourself stuck somewhere trying to get on what our friend Danna calls the “Health-Nut Highway”, we urge you to watch this documentary.
Remember, “We are all on a diet. Be on a healthy one.” Dr. Mercola
Head ’em up, Move ’em on – RAWHIDE
Head ’em up, Move ’em on – RAWHIDE! I have to admit this brings back memories of the Blues Brothers more than it does of Clint Eastwood (Rowdy Yates). To be clear, we are not much for Head ’em up around here. No whips, yelling or any other commotion near our herd. Low stress = high quality beef. (music provided at end of post)
Move ’em ON!
Fresh grass – MOVE – fresh grass – MOVE, is the name of the game at DS Family Farm. The way nature made the prairies is the method we use to restore and improve our pastures. Cows have legs and we believe they aren’t made for standing in lots. So what does Move ’em on look like? Here is a recent example:
In the above photo we start with the herd on November 26th near a water tank. Temporary wire fences are put up moving away from the tank. This photo on November 30th, shows the first 4 paddocks have been grazed, cattle have moved into the 5th paddock (most of the cows are just over the hill out of view). ATV tracks are visible along the future paddock lines, smashed down grass so we can install the fences. Small square bales are also visible in future paddocks. This is our non-growing season and we are supplementing the stockpiled grass with hay. If these moves were during the growing season we would prevent the herd from grazing previous paddocks after the third move (it takes grass about 3 days to start re-growing after being bitten off and we don’t want cows biting off new grass).
Sounds like work?
Paddock setup does take some time but in a few hours we are done with 3 days of moves. Here’s how automatic Batt Latch gate openers and electric poly wire technology allows the cows to do most of the work:
In the example shown above the cows have just moved into the 11/30 paddock (as you can see they are busy working). On November 30th we will setup two Batt Latch gate openers on the next two fence lines and a third fence line will stop the cattle from proceeding any further. We don’t need to show up to work again until December 3rd!
Cows doing the work they love
Don’t get us wrong, we love working with the cows, but this technology gives us flexibility in our schedule. This setup allows us to do a quick drive by to see if the cows have moved. Fresh grass and move, fresh grass and move, this is the key to soil health, grassland health, cattle health and ultimately your health.
We hope you have enjoyed this post and we invite you to stop by sometime to see our herd in MOTION. Always pasture grazed, never in lots for your health and ours. We leave you with some Move ’em on entertainment:
Farm Store Ready For Small Business Saturday
The DS Family Farm Store is up and running. We were ready for Small Business Saturday, almost. We now have a section on our website that we invite local folks to check out [Buy From Our Farm].
Why just local folks? We do not plan on shipping any product directly from our farm. We encourage everyone to shop local, even for pasture poultry and grass-fed beef.
We are now serving up pasture grazed meat products to folks in the Lincoln – Seward area. We welcome anyone in our area or anyone passing through, to stop by for direct pickup at the farm after first contacting us with your order. From past posts, you know we are fans of the Nebraska Food Coop. Look for DS Family Farm products once you are logged in to the Food Coop website. The Food Coop will give you the option to pay online and receive our Nebraska Raised product throughout the Coop delivery area.
What an appreciation we now have for small businesses everywhere! As we begin our efforts to turn product into certificates of service* ($$$), it is a good time to reflect back on our blog post Why Start? Here are some current thoughts:
- Sustainability is an ongoing effort:
- We are monitoring environmental change in our pasture and will share our findings in future posts.
- Profit as a measure of sustainability is “to be determined”.
- Healthy animals:
- We continue to watch and learn from our herd.
- We have had some dips but for the most part the animals seem happy and healthy.
- Gourmet grass-fed beef (Pasture Grazed Beef) for our community:
- Early reports from our recently harvested beef is encouraging.
- We will have health analysis of our beef in the near future.
- Watch for YOUR RECIPES on our website soon.
Thanks for your support and we look forward to serving you in the future.
*Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Thou Shall Prosper
Looking For Clean Food?
Would you know what to look for when choosing a Farmer? That is, choosing a farmer to buy your family’s food from? Looking for clean food? Especially locally produced food, that can be a challenge.
We have been members of the Weston A Price Foundation (WAPF) for several years. About the time I was dealing with acid reflux, we were also investigating the startup of our farm. While researching problem gut issues and sustainable farming, it didn’t take long for both topics to mesh and lead us to WAPF.
A diet of low processed whole foods provides the “medicine” your body needs to heal and support itself. Where does one turn to source low processed whole foods? When available, your local farmer! Does the management carried out on the local farm affect the food produced? Absolutely. When it comes to meat, pasture grazed & grassfed is the preferred choice.
We recently completed and returned the WAPF Local Chapter Farm Visit Checklist. Please take a moment to see how we responded to the checklist questions.
Feel free to contact us and stop by for a visit anytime to personally verify our answers. We are happy to connect you with other local farms to visit and research.
Good luck on your search for clean food, here are some other Local Food sources we use:
Nebraska Food Coop (many producers listed, we have tried most)
Other Local Food sources we are aware of, let us know who we have missed:
Lincoln Natural Food Connection (Facebook)
Firstborn
Our cattle arrived as yearlings in July 2011, ten heifers and one bull. May 9, 2013 our first calf was born. This firstborn calf was a true miracle, a gift from God, which has now been repeated a number of times over the past three calving seasons.
In the Old Testament the firstborn refers to animals and belong to the Lord. Firstfruits refers to what comes from the soil. Both the firstborn and firstfruits are a gift from God, we cannot create livestock or crops, only God. To claim a calf or a grape is the result of evolution is not observable science. It has been observed over the past 100 years, billions of chicken eggs have hatched in the USA and every time a chicken comes out, no evolution into a different “being”.
Sure we work to be good stewards of this cow herd. We plan daily access to water, mineral and forages but beyond that, God and the cows do the rest. When we have intervened, with good intentions, the results have been mixed. What looked like benefits of our intervention at the time, long term has resulted in handicaps. For one explanation of this reality see “Antifragile” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. We are always trying to move toward the natural order that God has designed. This is difficult, we humans like to get involved and think we are doing some good when we just cannot anticipate all the variables.
Back to our Old Testament discussion. This claim by God for the firstborn was to point people toward the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Prior to Jesus death and resurrection, people had God’s promise of a Savior to look forward to for their salvation. Today we have the historical truth (evidence based on manuscript, archeological, prophecy and statistics) to look back that the promise has been fulfilled for our salvation.
On October 13, 2015 our firstborn calf will be butchered as a 29 month old steer. We thank God for the opportunity he gave us to raise these animals and pray that the harvest will reach those who are in need of the nourishment provided. All glory to God, Amen.
2015 Pasture Walk
Sunday October 4, 2015, from 3 PM to 5 PM. Doug and Sheila Garrison invite you to a walk in our pasture. Meet in pasture located one-quarter mile North of US HWY 34 and NW 140th Street, Lancaster County Nebraska (east side of road). NW 140th Street is the Lancaster – Seward County line, about ~12 miles West of Lincoln or ~10 miles East of Seward on US HWY 34. Street Address: 7650 NW 140th Street, Malcolm, NE.
Pasture Walk Topics:
- View our pasture raised 100% grass-fed beef herd:
Herd grazing eastern gamagrass July 2015. 
Stockpile grazing with hay supplement spring 2015. - Cows with 2015 calves
- Yearling steers
- 2-year-old butcher ready steers
- Herd bull
- Pasture grazed 365 days per year
- Low stress nose ring weaning
- Stockpiled forage – no crop residue grazing
- Supplemental hay fed on pasture
- Eastern gamagrass planting
- Warm season CRP grazing July-September
- Mineral program
Late August CRP, grass on right grazed mid-July and regrowth ready for another graze. 
Grazing stockpile, fall 2014, behind Batt Latch automatic gate opener. - Organic fly control
- Solar powered fence and water
- Tire tank year round frost proof water
- Poly wire temporary paddocks
- Automatic time controlled Batt-Latch gate release
- Native grass, forb, flower identification
- Pollinator, bird, wildlife observations
- Monitoring forages and soil carbon
- Other thoughts and ideas…
Dress for walking in a tall grass prairie. Bring your ideas and questions. Let’s learn together. Share our successes and mistakes.
If questionable weather comes to our area on October 4th, check this blog post for latest updates or call 402-796-2208.
Looking forward to seeing you soon. For more information about our pasture walk, feel free to drop us an email.
Grazing ice cream grass
In our solar powered steer post we described how cattle will select the tips of plants first, grazing to capture the highest amount of energy available. We call this grazing off the “ice cream”. Here is a video link from this past weekend of the herd entering a new patch and grazing the tips off what some would call weeds (we call them forbs and our cattle love them) – Instagram Video – Grazing Plant Tips For Energy @dsfamilyfarm.
Almost all plants have some part of “ice cream” (high energy) but one native plant has been nick named the “ice cream grass” – eastern gamagrass (tripsacum dactyloides). I first became interested in eastern gama during the summer of 1985 while working in Falls City Nebraska for the Soil Conservation Service. This area of the state still had small native stands of eastern gama. The story goes that grazing ice cream grass by early settlers cattle almost wiped the grass out. Since the 1990’s seed has become readily available and we have reintroduced this native grass in higher moisture soils that were previously invaded by non-native bromegrass and reeds canary grass.
In the photo above the cattle are milling around waiting to move to a fresh patch. Note this almost solid stand of eastern gamagrass has been evenly grazed to about cow shoulder height. The herd has grazed the highest energy part of the leaves and left the rest. We could “force” the herd to keep eating down the remaining leaves but if we move, two good things happen:
- The cattle move to fresh grass and eat the “ice cream” (high energy part) of the ice cream grass.
- The grass we leave behind as shown above, has good leaf area ready to capture photosynthesis and start regrowth.
In the above photo we have let down the temporary poly fence to allow the cattle to move into a fresh paddock. A win-win situation for the cattle and the grass.
Greg Judy of Missouri has a chapter devoted to eastern gamagrass in his book “Comeback Farms“, which is worth the read. He describes using a mob of dry cows to graze eastern gamagrass down further than what we show here. It just depends on your goals. In our herd we have cows with calves, yearling steers and grass finishing beef (2-year-old steers). So we are now grazing with animal condition in mind. This winter after the grass finished beeves are harvested, we will graze a little more with the land in mind.
As we have stated before our herd is 100% pasture grass-fed, no grain feeding. One unique note about eastern gamagrass is that it is believed to be related to maize (corn). The root systems are not similar at all. The leaves of eastern gama are wide like corn and take a look at the seed head in the photo below. Note that above the seed, the male portion of the plant is similar to a corn tassel. The seed is large but harder than a kernel of corn. None the less I am sure our cattle consume some of these ice cream grass seeds:
- It helps spread the plant around the pastures
- It is the closest thing to corn our cattle will ever consume!
