There's plenty in the media these days about rising food costs and the consequences of industrial agricultural production. From NPR's Morning Edition comes this story, an interview with professor Roz Naylor, director of the Program on Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University. It nicely summarizes many of the issues. The conclusions? Eat less meat, and for the meat that you do eat, make it from local, smaller farmers who use responsible agricultural practices.
In our immediate area, there's Hastings Farm in Bay Minette, where owner Randall Hastings raises Red Devon cattle, primarily on grass. One of our readers, who bought a quarter steer, says it's "tender and flavorful" and they were very pleased.
Not everyone is familiar with the advantages of grass-fed beef, which is leaner and healthier to eat, as well as better for the environment. When I started looking for sources of local food in the area, I called a local meat market and asked if they carried any locally produced beef. The woman told me that 'all the cattle around here are raised on grass, and you wouldn't want that. All our beef is grain-fed.' To learn more about grass-fed animal products, visit Eat Wild.
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