Health Benefits
In the modern world of beef production, most all beef, even if it is labeled “Natural” or “Organic,” is grainfed beef. While beef is one of nature’s best sources of protein, zinc and iron, only 100% grassfed and finished beef is high in the nutrients beta-carotene, vitamin E, essential Omega 3 fatty acids, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), and Trans Vaccenic Acid (TVA). Foods that are rich in nutrients, like grassfed beef, provide your body and brain with the fuel needed without adding empty calories to your diet.
When it comes to grass fed beef, there is significant scientific evidence that meat from animals raised and finished on grass actually improves heart health and provides our bodies with essential nutrients.
“Raising cattle on grass boosts the beef’s level of a conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a lesser-known but important group of polyunsaturated fatty acids found in beef, lamb and dairy products. Over the past two decades, numerous health benefits have been attributed to CLA in animals, including a reduction in cancer, heart disease, onset of diabetes and accumulation of body fat. To achieve these benefits, the average person should consume about 5 grams of CLA per day. A 3.5-ounce serving of grass-fed beef provides 1.23 grams of CLA, 25 percent of the daily requirement. The same amount of conventional beef provides less than 10 percent of the daily requirement,” according to the study’s author, Glenn Nader of the University of California Cooperative Extension.
Demand for grass fed beef has seen a large increase over the last number of years because of the numerous health benefits associated with it. Many people advocate grass fed beef as the ONLY option because it is healthier and viewed as a more humane process. Ordering your grass fed beef in bulk can prove to be a very wise decision. Why is it wise? By choosing to purchase bulk grass fed beef you are saving a significant amount of money compared to purchase at the grocery store. At the grocery store you can expect to pay anywhere from $15-30 per pound depending on the cut. With your bulk grass fed beef purchase you will have all the beef you need for the foreseeable future right there in your own freezer. You’ll be able to consistently grab something that tastes great out of your deep freezer!
Smart Purchase
Understanding Terminology & Cuts of Beef
Before we begin….it’s important to understand terminology and the difference between live weight, hanging weight and packaged weight.
Live Weight is how much the beef animal weighs when it’s alive.
Hanging Weight is a weight the weight of the animal after it has been killed, drained, organs removed, etc. The hanging weight is usually about 60-65% of the live weight. So if an animal weighs 1000 lbs live weight its hanging weight will be 600-650 lbs. This is also the weight the butcher uses to charge for cutting/wrapping fees. The hanging weight is the most consistent way to measure the carcass before getting into customizing the cuts.
Packaged Weight or sometimes referred to as Final Weight or Take Home Weight is how much you, the customer, take home after the beef has been packaged. This is usually 60-65% of the hanging weight. The loss comes from 2 places: `water loss and bone loss. Water loss occurs during the dry aging process where the beef is allowed to hang for 10-14 days to tenderize. The second place you might loose weight is from cutting the meat off the bones. The more boneless cuts the customer requests, the less the packaged weight will be.
*** The weights vary between individual animals and butchering style.
