Angus Beef

Angus are a British breed known for its smaller size and finishing weight, making them ideal for Manitoba's short growing season. Earlier maturity also makes this breed desirable as they can produce calves sooner than other breeds as well as grow to full size faster making them suitable for market in as little as two and a half years. Despite its smaller frame they are well adapted to extreme climates and cold hardy since they spend less energy trying to keep warm than other, bigger breeds. 

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What does it mean to be Grass-fed or Grass-finished? 

        Grass-fed refers to cattle that ate grass at some point in their lives but not exclusively. Although an animal can spend most of its life on pasture, a grass-fed animal may either be fed grass in combination with grain, particularly towards the end of their lives in an effort to gain weight and are therefore grain-finished. 

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Forage is primarily leaves and stems from grassland plants. We like to include the word "forage" as it provides a better understanding that our cattle do not only eat grass and the words "grass-fed" alone can be misleading and not well understood. As we do not raise animals on range land, we try and grow the most diversified forage pasture possible of grasses, forbs, and legumes. We believe this allows cattle to select and choose what they may require in their diet, similar to what nature intended. As part of our pasture rotation, our animals also have access to our forest system to meet any nutritional (shrubs - they sure like saskatoon berries, willow bark, poplar leaves, etc.) needs they may require.

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Grass-finished means that cattle were finished on forage alone, never grain. Our animals are grass-finished making them a little different than most of the beef you will find at the grocery store. If a label does not mention grass-finished it likely means they had grain in their diet to reach finishing weight.

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Health and Environmental Benefits

1. Animals finished on grass (forage) produce leaner meat with more omega-3 fatty acids, higher conjugated linoleic acid, vitamin E and C  which all contribute to a more nutritious and healthier product.

2.  Pasture based production systems tend to require fewer and often no antibiotics, animals are less prone to health issues, and experience less overall stress and anxiety.

3. The presence of cattle grazing on the land and incorporated back into the farming system has many benefits to the environment. When managed appropriately, animal impact on soils as well as the act of grazing allows for the regeneration of soils and increased soil fertility. Having year long pasture or ground cover also helps capture rainfall and reduce run off. Lastly, less fertilizer may be required in a grass (forage) fed operation and opportunity for manure to be spread over a larger area reduces concentration levels limiting the potential to leach into and harm waterways. 

4. Land used to produce livestock provides a range of Ecological Goods and Services to society. Supporting grass based livestock producers provides an economic incentive to keep those areas in forage and livestock production rather than converting them to cropping systems, which depend on external inputs like chemical and fertilizer to maintain yield. I don't mean to get political, but Bob Sopuck explains it well in this short video.

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