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Here’s the Beef….

Jojoba Beef on the Range

 

So, I am re-writing a blog about beef.  The most recent draft was very formal and full of details about the differences in branding, marketing, and especially the health concerns and issues in the world of supermarket beef (really scary!), but I decided to leave all that out.  I just want to keep it simple–I want to explain in concise terms what you should be looking for when you choose any meat.

Find the freshest, grass-fed or grass-finished meat from your local rancher or farmer… period.  End of story.  Talk to the person who is raising the animals–you should be doing the asking!  They will tell you what the animals are fed, how they are treated, and may even show you pictures of the environment in which they are raised.  What more can you ask for?

Now, I know that the meat products at the farmers’ market are slightly more expensive than the supermarket, however I want you to ponder a few things.  At your supermarket, how fresh are the meat and eggs that have been shipped from farms in the mid-west?  Where are the cows coming from?  Cows are ruminants which chew the cud, which means that they are meant to eat grass.  No regulations demand that the type of feed process be named on the product label however.  Almost all supermarket beef, even products labeled “organic”, can mean that the cows have been fed on corn and grain products.

When you choose to eat meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals raised on pasture, you are improving the welfare of the animals, reducing environmental pollution, helping small-scale ranchers and farmers make a living from the land, creating sustainability within our communities, and giving your family the healthiest possible food.

So join us as we celebrate our ranching and farming families that are truly devoted to their work at the annual “GrazeFest”, hosted by the Tucson Farmers’ Market.

GrazeFest celebrates Arizona’s ranching and farming heritage by celebrating our area’s

leading producers of natural grass-fed and range-fed meats.

  • Friday, March 23 at Jesse Owens Farmers’ Market

Chef Maria Mazon from BOCA

9:30 am Chef Demo

  • Saturday, March 24 at Oro Valley Farmers’ Market

Chef Angel Fabian from NOBLE HOPS

9:30 am Chef Demo