Consumers’ demand for ethically produced meat is growing as they move away from chemically produced meat and food products. Consumers are making more health conscious decisions, hence the demand for farm fresh pasture-raised meat is increasing.
Ethically farm fresh pastured-raised meat combines sustainability, animal welfare for super nutrition. To produce this food type takes more than allowing farm animals to roam free.
If you’re wondering what it takes to produce farm fresh pasture-raised meat, the following article will shed light on meticulous farming practices and a deep commitment to the land and animals contributes to farm fresh pasture-raised meat.
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What is Regenerative Farming?
Regenerative farming focuses primarily on agricultural practices like soil and land improvement to produce nutrient enriched crops and high quality livestock. Unlike regular farming practices which drains the ecosystem, regenerative farming restores ecological balance and improves farming systems sustainability.
In regenerative farming practices farmers employ modern farming techniques like rotational grazing, where they move livestock between pastures to prevent overgrazing. This practice gives livestock access to fresh nutrient enriched fodder without compromising on soil health. It increases water retention and improves bio-diversity.
Regenerative farming practices create a symbiotic relationship between animals and the environment. Livestock fertilize the land with their manure, while the rest periods between grazing allow pastures to grow back healthier. Over time, this results in stronger ecosystems that support agriculture and wildlife.
Ethical Animal Husbandry
For farmers to produce farm fresh pasture-raised meat, animal welfare must be at the cornerstone. Animals are given free rein to roam the pastures, engaging in natural behaviors, such as grazing, foraging, and dust bathing. For example:
Cattle roam freely in open pastures, unhindered by enclosures. Farmers allow them to graze on nutrient rich grass, free from synthetic and chemical fertilizers.
In conventional farming, chickens are raised in windowless, over-crowed chicken houses or battery cages, with limited access to light, fresh water and feed. Pasture raised chickens roam freely, where they forage for insects and seeds, scratch the earth and engage in dust bathing.
Animals raised in pastures are less stressed, leading to improved growth and better quality meat. Farmers engaging in ethical animal welfare and regenerative farming practices provide their livestock with clean water, shelter and a diet free from harmful, synthetic additives.
Health Benefits of Pasture-Raised Meat
Farm fresh pasture-raised meat, unlike conventional meat which are loaded with hormones and synthetic chemicals, contributes to a person’s health. Free range meat from animals raised on open pastures are omega-3 fatty acid enriched, an essential nutrient for good heart health.
Farm fresh pasture raised meats are also rich in vitamins A, D and E as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a good fat linked to reduced inflammation and improved immunity.
Because pasture-raised animals graze on natural, organic nutrient-rich fodder instead of processed feed, their meat is leaner and free from the residues of antibiotics or growth hormones conventional farmers use in industrial farming.
Supporting Sustainable Farming
Choosing farm fresh pasture-raised meat over conventional ones is a conscious decision. It goes beyond nutrition and taste, it’s a movement towards sustainable living that benefits every person, beast and plant on the planet.
By encouraging support for regenerative agriculture and ethical animal welfare, consumers promote sustainable farming practices and improved health.
