The developing grass fed beef market….

There is no one in this business of grass fed beef whose opinions I value more than Bill Roberts of 12 Stones Grasslands Beef.  Bill has not only an education in the field but years of experience in all levels of raising and marketing cattle.  While a staunch advocate for natural food he has also been a critic of some of the fads and, let’s face it, the nutty theories of some of the well-known grass gurus.

A recent article got us thinking…and worrying just a bit.  And while I don’t disagree with his facts, I’m not sure I want to follow where they’re leading.  So let the discussion begin!  First Bill and then, after you’ve had a time to digest his article, I’ll come back with a few comments.

There is a saying that “perception is reality.” In other words, what
people perceive of something is true whether it is factually true or
not. I believe that is a lie. Substance is always reality, whether people perceive it correctly or not. There are underlying truths, principles and facts behind every spiritual, mental and physical thing.
The grass fed industry is no exception to  this line of thinking. The day of the consultant has abounded in our fledgling industry where we are all still on a learning curve. It has become apparent to me that it is as important to learn what a consultant does not know as it is to learn what they know. We are all ignorant only on different subjects. Knowledge, wisdom and understanding are like nutrition.  A smorgasbord is more likely to give a person what
they need than a single entre’. Getting a broad base of information
and then testing that information over time validates the substance”  of the information or it does not.   Without testing for yourself, in something as new as the grass fed industry, you are likely to be at the mercy of fads, incomplete or mis-leading information.

A case in point is the “small cow”, a valuable recent pushback to the large, slab-sided meatless wonders that dominate the commercial cattle business.   Smaller frame score cattle do tend
to be more efficient and produce more saleable pounds per acre than large frame score cows. From a commodity perspective, there is some substance to that. However in the growing premium grass fed market, there is some perception involved as well.

If a person wants to market beyond the walls of the local sale barn and access a premium grass finished beef market, there better be some substance within that smaller frame score.  A 625 to 700 pound carcass is what processors and retailers want to be profitable. It costs virtually the same to harvest and fab a carcass of that size as it does for a 480 to 600 pound “mini-carcass.” Spreading the cost over a greater volume is key to profitability.

We have targeted smaller frame cattle around a 3 -4 frame score.
However, that cow better carry 1,100 to 1,250 of muscle mass and be able to produce grass finished calves that dress 58 to 60 % HCW to live. The difference between a “pasture ornament” and a “profit
center” is substance, not perception.