Organic rancher provides corn-fed beef
Posted: October 20, 2009
Time magazine’s August 31 attack on conventional American agriculture featured Niman Ranch in Bolinas, Calif., which the writer praised heavily for its organic practices. The article states:
“Niman’s cows eat only grass, along with a smattering of hay. That’s the normal diet for cattle. Their rumen, a digestive organ, can break down grasses we’d find inedible.” Source.
The big debate right now is between corn-fed beef and grass-fed beef, and Niman falls into the second category, according to Time.
However …
In a tweet discusssion today, Niman Ranch had this to say …
they’re raised on open pastures so they eat alot of natural grasses. They’re finished on a mix of corn, alfalfa & other veggies
UPDATE:
A commenter below points out that Niman Ranch is “no longer associated” with Bill Niman. The Niman Ranch Web site clearly stats their beef feed policy, and we thank the commenter for the information.
Unfortunately for readers of Time, this distinction between feed practices was not made clear in the magazine article, which is featured on the Niman Ranch Web site. The Time writer speaks of Niman Ranch as a good sustainable agriculture and business model, which appears to be the case (good for them!), but does not mention that Niman Ranch beef is fed corn.
Ashley Said,
October 21, 2009 @ 12:01 pm
This information is incorrect. I read the Time article and it makes no mention of Niman Ranch being a grass fed program. Bill Niman and Niman Ranch are no longer associated with one another, and while Bill may have a grass fed beef program, Niman Ranch has never made that claim. You can view Niman Ranch’s protocols in their entirety on their website at
http://www.nimanranch.com/beef.aspx