15 years ago, I had my first introduction to grass-fed beef. I discovered there are many misconceptions about appearance, flavor, tenderness, and genetics. Consumers are quickly changing their preferences based on nutrition and flavor. Surprisingly, many ranchers are slow to respond.
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For 35 years, PCC® has selected genetics that efficiently turn low quality forage into high quality beef. Unlike the status quo beef industry, Kit Pharo concentrated on traits that directly affect profitability: calving ease, moderate frame size, low-maintenance, fertility, and fleshing ability. Coincidentally, all these traits add up to genetics that thrive in a grass-fed operation.
15 years ago, I had my first experience finishing a steer on grass. I received a couple orders for grass-fed beef and kept back three status quo Angus steer calves, putting them on good, irrigated grass for the summer. I was expecting them to be ready to butcher by fall, but in fact, those large-framed monsters were three years old before they showed any fat. By that time, the customers who ordered them were long gone. That was the first dose of reality, but it gave us an opportunity to try grass-fed beef for ourselves.
We started out with some other misconceptions. We were told that grass-fed beef would be tough, stringy, and covered in yellow, gamey-tasting fat. We were surprised to learn that those claims were untrue. Since that time, we have converted 100% to grass-fed and never looked back.
Another misconception was regarding genetics. Our maiden voyage made it clear that our status-quo genetics were not built for grass-finishing. Shortly after that experience, we were introduced to PCC® and have converted 100%. Now we can easily finish a steer on grass before the age of two.
We often hear guests at our dinner table comment on the exceptional flavor and tenderness of our grass-fed beef. My 96-year-old farmer Dad is a life-long proponent of grain-fed beef. His two-week visit turned into two months during the Covid lock down. At every meal, he would say, “Now this isn’t grass-fed, is it?” I would reply, “Yes, Dad, that’s the only kind of beef we have.” He would say, “My, that’s tender. I can’t believe it.”
During the past couple decades, more and more consumers have become concerned about the nutritional benefits of the food they eat. They also discovered that grass-fed beef has a richer, fuller flavor. The demand continues to grow making it a value-added marketing option for beef producers. The question is, do you have the genetics to participate? Pharo Cattle Company® does!
I’ll see you next time on the Herd Quitter® Minute.
Life circumstances afforded me the opportunity of learning how to better utilize range grazing.
-Keep cattle off immature range plants. By doing this I approximately doubled my grazing capacity. This also requires more planning and saving some forages that retain nutrition and acceptability of mature forage grazing.
This strategy allowed for gains of approximately 3 lb per day rate of gain – steers put out at 800 lb came off 100 days later at 1100 lb.
– mob grazing improved utilization of lesser quality forages and created improved forage production in subsequent years. 300 head of long yearling heifers were put on 150 acres of rank mature forage – grasses, shrubs, immature trees along with some “weeds” and water plants as it was located next to a lake. The land was “cleared” with cow patties so dense I could step on patties across the entire field. The following years, this land had the best forage production in the area.
Good job! I have heard of people gaining up to 4 pounds a day on grass, however, it did not work at all with status quo genetics. PCC genetics allowed me to finish a Beef on grass in a reasonable amount of time even with set stock grazing.