Board Poll: What are your views on Organic, GMO, Grass-Fed, Pasture-Raised?
My views:
Organic - Important for fresh produce like berries, apples, anything with a porous skin that you aren't going to remove. I have been doing a lot more gardening the last few years to have some peace of mind over the source of my families food.
GMO - I don't really care that it is genetically modified, but I do care that it wasn't hosed down with glyphosate. Here in Iowa we have the highest cancer rate in the country and I think glyphosate is a major factor.
Grass-Fed - Beef, lamb - I get a 1/2 beef every year that is certified organic and grass-fed. It is about the same cost as non-grass fed. I don't know if I would spend the extra money or not if I didn't have this access.
Pasture-Raised Eggs - I am an egg snob, I grew up raising chickens and it is about taste. I only buy local eggs or Vital Farms, Pete & Gerry's basically whatever are the most expensive eggs is what I buy.
Replies to: Board Poll: What are your views on Organic, GMO, Grass-Fed, Pasture-Raised?
Grain fed beef tastes better than grass fed beef to me.
All beef and lamb I ate before coming to U.S. were grass-fed. I felt they are too lean and dry comparing to grain fed meat.
I could see that, I like lean meat, if Elk or Bison is on the menu I am ordering it
With grass fed, I only grille Ribeyes, T-bones and Fillet and medium rare. For roasts we primarily do chuck roasts. The sirloins are marinaded for stir fries and fajitas and such. It is more prone to drying out like many wild meats and lamb so more care needs to be taken. It also tastes a bit different, more like wild meat but only slightly.
Once I was forced to get the Covid shot, I eat everything. F it.
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Flavor is the only criterion
The rest is bullshit.
I don't bother too much with it, other than I prefer non-G.M.O. I find Grass-Fed to be overrated.
People mention the higher Omega-3 content, but the total nominal value you're getting is so small in beef anyway that I do not believe it makes any difference in your health, especially if your diet contains nuts and fish/fish oils. I don't see the justification to spend that much more money on beef for that distinction.
You can get some Omega 3s from pasture raised eggs as well.
If I had to choose between pasture raised eggs and grass fed beef, I'd go with the eggs hands down.
The last 2 years, we've been buying into cows.
You probably already do this, but if not, I highly recommend. We go in on thirds, halfs, whatever, and then freeze it and consume over the course of a year or so. It's far superior to grocery store beef of any kind.
Yeah, we get a half every year.
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I know it’s a different thing…
But steak/meat grade makes a huge difference when it comes to quality and taste. If I’m going to Q a steak, I usually do an American or Australian Wagyu grade steak. Nothing lower than prime.
Again, I know this is a different subject.
Ah, well that's different.
Tangentially, it's like if I'm going out for a steak, it's going to be at a good steakhouse and not Texas Roadhouse.
Open offer…
If you ever come out to San Diego, I’ll make sure you have one of the best steak experiences of your life and it won’t be at a restaurant.
That was already presumed some time back.
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Anytime!
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Regarding eggs - home raised chickens - can’t eat store bought anymore
because our eggs are so much better.
10 chickens -7 to 8 eggs/day avg.
Very relaxing work
This is good, haven't convinced the wife to get chickens yet.
Lots of people have chickens around here so it isn't hard to find good eggs.
I have a couple friends doing the same and they say the same, relaxing stuff
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That’s awesome! How much work is it?
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Not bad at all.
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Excellent. How many chickens and do you have a coop?…
Sorry for all the questions. I’ve been thinking about getting a few myself.
Built an 8x12 shed and bought a smaller store bought coop behind for chicks to be slowly introduced
....have a outside run using large cage pieces from Tractor Supply meant for a Dog run....then put fencing beneath the dirt of the outside run to prevent digging predators as well as chicken wire over the top (It's in a forested area on the water so there are a LOT of predators (raccoons and possums and weasels of course, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, eagles, hawks owls (just spotted a Great Horned owl btw which was really cool). There is a very rare black bear, and I guess they are screwed if it wants in.
We have 10 chickens chosen for egg laying + cold tolerance.
My daughter really loves it...she has named them all :) We chose:
2 Black Sex-Linked's named "Nix", & "Raisin"
1 White Brahma named "Sonny"
1 Black Astralorpe named "Delta"
1 Olive Egger named "Kermit"
1 Road Island Red named "Dalia"
1 Starlight Green Egger named "Robin"
1 Buff Orpington named "Beatrix"
1 Lavender Orpington named "Violet"
1 Blue Laced Gold Wyandotte named "Princess Leia" - our #1 egg layer (as befits royalty).
We have had less luck with the Issa breed because the seem to get sick a lot
We avoid roosters now, though there used to be some..... "Benedict Cumberscratch" and "Gregory Peck"
Began when COVID started from scratch with 6 chicks and a starter pen.
They love the after dinner scraps that used to go in the garbage disposal.
We let them range free when we are present only - I do know people who just let them range and forget about it....But they have 40 to 50 and they lose chickens frequently and just replace with free chicks from friends....AND they don't have to explain the loss to my daughter.
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Could not possibly care less
Mrs Tufnel does the shopping for the household. I eat what she buys.
How it was grown / nourished makes no difference to me.