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There is no national definition of what qualifies as grass-fed. Grass-fed beef (as the name would suggest) comes from cattle that are raised on pasture and eat green grass for their entire life. Further, grass-fed beef is not given growth hormones or antibiotics.

The health benefits of eating grass-fed beef include better nutrition with higher levels of essential vitamins (E, C, and beta-carotene), conjugated linoleic acid, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Eating grass-fed beef is also kinder and gentler to the animals and the land.

The benefits to animal welfare include allowances for the animals to eat and exercise at will as well as a lower incidence of illness. The impact on the land of grass-fed beef is less than conventional beef.

Grass-fed beef only requires pasture to be raised while conventional beef requires the growing of corn with the heavy use of fertilizers made from petroleum as well as the piling up of animal waste which can be a source of both water and air pollution.

Grass-fed beef may be more expensive than conventional beef but if you plan ahead you can enjoy the health, taste, animal welfare and environmental benefits year round.

Although grass-fed beef is more expensive than conventionally raised beef and less available (usually not on your supermarket shelves and only seasonally available in spring and early summer) its benefits far outweigh its costs.

This spring, while cleaning out your garage or shed, also consider cleaning out your system and take advantage of the many benefits of grass-fed beef for your families health as well as the welfare of the animals and the land.

With a little planning and research, you can buy grass-fed beef in bulk and freeze it (or find farms that do the same), and you can throw grass-fed beef on the BBQ year round!

(See http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html for a listing of farms that sell grass-fed beef in your state.)

Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:

http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/antibiotics_and_food/european-union-ban.html (Union of Concerned Scientists, the leading science-based nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world, report entitled "European Union Bans Antibiotic for Growth Promotion")

http://www.beeffrompasturetoplate.org/ (Stage in Beef Production from the website of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, working to increase profit opportunities for cattle and beef producers by enhancing the business climate and building consumer demand).

http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/ls0509.pdf (Federal Register Notice of the United States Standard for Livestock and Meat Marketing Claim, Grass (Forage) Fed Claim, May 12, 2006)

http://www.americangrassfed.org/ (Established in 2003, the American Grassfed Association membership is comprised of producers of all types of grass-fed livestock, professionals in education, health, food service and other related industries, and consumers. The goal of the Association is to promote the grass-fed industry through government relations, research, concept marketing and public education)

http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/courses/geog100/Hormone-BeefDebate.htm (Los Angeles Times article entitled, "U.S., Europe Lock Horns in Beef Hormone Debate")

http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/hormones/ (Fact sheet about artificial hormones by Sustainable Table who celebrate the sustainable food movement, educate consumers on food-related issues and work to build community through food)

http://www.eatingfresh.com/ (Fresh is a publishing and information services company and consulting firm that connects home cooks, professional chefs, restaurateurs, food enthusiasts, and consumers to taste, health, and community benefits of locally grown and raised foods)

http://www.eatwild.com/ (Eatwild's goals are to link consumers with reliable suppliers of all-natural, delicious, grass-fed products and to provide comprehensive, accurate information about the benefits of raising animals on pasture)

http://www.sierraclub.org/e-files/grassfed.asp (E-file from the Sierra Club, a national non-profit environmental organization dedicated to exploring, enjoying, and protecting the wild places of the earth, entitled "Going Grass-fed")

http://www.csuchico.edu/agr/grsfdbef. (University of California Cooperative Extension and California State University, Chico research review finding greater nutritional value in grass-fed beef)