The Grass is Greener
Why pasture-based farming makes us happy
Ask Organic Prairie producer Ron Rosmann how pasture-based farming works, and he'll tell you, “It has to do with the whole farm system.” Describing his own northwest Iowa farm, he says, “How the livestock interact with crops and rotation, and diversity -- It all fits together so well.
Large-scale confinement farms may currently dominate U.S. meat production, but a growing number of farmers--including those in the Organic Prairie cooperative—are finding pasture-based farming to be a better path. There are many reasons to choose pasturing; it can mean healthier livestock, more nutritious food products, profitable family farms, and sustainable land stewardship. But perhaps the biggest reason of all is the way these benefits are interconnected. Raising animals on pasture promotes sustainable land use and leads to healthier livestock, which results in more nutritious, safer foods, and more profitable farms, which keeps the whole process sustainable. This is a food and farming system that, simply, makes sense.
Pastured and Organic?
Pasturing methods are a good fit with organic farming, but organic does not always mean pasture-raised. USDA organic standards require “access to pasture” as part of an organic livestock system. This standard is under review, but currently does not specify how often or how long animals are outdoors, nor does it require they be fed live grasses.
Because of their commitment to working in harmony with nature, Organic Prairie producers prefer to provide their animals with as much pasture as they can. The Cooperative's own production standards require that ruminant (grass-eating) animals have access to well-managed pasture as a significant portion of their feed whenever it is in season--a minimum of 3 months in most regions. Many Organic Prairie farmers pasture their livestock for all but the coldest winter months.
Some Organic Prairie farmers raise their beef on 100% pasture, all the time. However, due to a popular preference for fat-marbled meat, consumer demand for 100% grass-fed meat is still relatively small. There is growing demand for meat that is pasture-raised and then grain-finished, to provide both the benefits of pasture and the flavor that many customers enjoy. It's one piece of a broad, gradual trend toward positive change in the food system.
