Mythological Grass-Fed Beast
Posted: January 28, 2010
The claims of food naturalists about the grass-fed beef cattle of yesteryear may be somewhat mythological.
James McWilliams, author of the opinion column “Freakonomics” on the New York Times blog, has a great article this week on “The Myth of Grass-Fed Beef.” McWilliams notes that the environmentalists who favor grass-fed beef as more natural and sustainable claim that “Before WW II, most Americans had never eaten corn-fed beef.”
Yet McWilliams finds references from agricultural journals as far back as 1822 promoting corn as a means of fattening cattle for meat. Not taking sides on the debate of whether grass-fed beef is healthier or more sustainable, McWilliams is just interested in making sure the truth is told. “I’m only suggesting to advocates of the grass-fed option that, if they feel so compelled to draw on the past to support the present, they should start by providing some footnotes,” he writes. “The romance of a pasture-fed past will only take the story so far.”
Actually, the widespread use of corn as livestock feed is a relatively recent development that allows us to enjoy a wide variety of fresh and affordable meat and poultry on a daily basis. Before World War II most Americans did not have that luxury. Animals eat about half the corn we produce every year and turn it into a tasty source of protein for us. And that is no myth.
Bob Parkhurst Said,
January 29, 2010 @ 12:50 am
The claims of food naturalists about the grass-fed beef cattle of yesteryear may be somewhat mythological.
And then again, maybe not. My Grandfather fed corn to his dairy cows, but it wasn’t kernels of yellow No. 2 field corn — it was green corn that had not yet developed ears chopped into silage, to be stored and fermented in his silos, and fed to his dairy cows as fodder.
The green, plant part of corn IS a grass. Those ag journalists back in 1822 promoting corn may have been talking about the grass part of the corn plant as silage.
Grass-fed beef could well be eating corn, but not eating corn kernels.
Daryl R. Pring Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 11:11 am
Bob, your grandfather (and my father) was probably feeding a lot of corn kernels with that silage. Optimum silage harvest historically (no later than the mid 1950’s) is 40-45 days after pollination, when kernels are indeed beginning to mature. This coincides with probable maximum total digestible nutrient levels. And, when Dad’s cattle got “out”, they headed straight for corn ears or alfalfa, but not the oats or wheat or soybeans.