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Pasture Fed: What They Eat Makes the Difference in Health
Look to the west as you pass by Central Point on the freeway and you will see distant fields where lush green grass sparkles and ripples in the wind.
Among those fields is a family farm with 40 acres of grass that feeds a small herd of cattle and some 500 chickens.
For the Martin family and their customers, the cattle that are grazed here and the chickens clucking and pecking about—turn out especially tasty and nutritious products: beef and dark-yolked chicken eggs.
Larry Martin brought his young family west from Iowa nearly 10 years ago to a once fallow dairy farm where he started his business and settled in to raise his three daughters. As the seasons of the year unfold, all members of the Martin family contribute to the farm work which includes rotating the cattle and chickens frequently to sustain the pastures.
This year there are 27 pregnant cows and heifers and about two dozen yearlings looking contented as they ruminate. By fall, the yearlings will be sold and processed locally into hormone-free, grass-fed beef. Rogue Valley consumers are discovering that genetically superior cattle, rotationally grazed and finished exclusively on pasture, taste better and are better for you than the grain-fed beef typically served in restaurants and found in stores.
Not only does this kind of meat taste better, research shows that the meat from cattle grazed on pasture has a measurably different type of fat than meat from cattle that are grain fattened at a feedlot. The meat from “pasture-finished” animals contains fats that are needed for good health, with higher amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids and other essential vitamins. Martin’s cattle are also raised without hormones and his fields are kept free of toxic sprays.
Land management at the Martin’s ranch involves a careful rotation of the grazing areas. A cross fencing system separates the pasture land into smaller paddocks that are a mix of “cool season” and "warm season” grasses. As prime forage, these grasses have a full range of proteins, minerals, and vitamins. When blended with a mix of legumes, this grass provides a diet that accelerates the healthy growth of the young cattle. When it comes to beef, the vast majority of flavor comes from fat and the best tasting steaks, says Larry Martin, are not too fat, not too lean. "A real lean animal might yield acceptable ground beef, but it won’t turn into a great steak. You need that fat interspersed in the meat and a little bit around the outside to keep it from drying out too quickly when cooked.”
At the Martin Family Ranch, grass-fed beef is harvested in late summer or early fall. This comes at the end of a cycle that is a year and a half long. It begins when cows calve in early spring. Calves are on their dams for the summer, weaned in the fall and put back on pasture, supplemented with quality hay. Then, the following spring, with the flush of grass growth, those yearlings go full time back out on pasture and have 5 to 6 months to fatten up. According to Martin, “They need that 4 to 5 month minimum period on all the high quality forage so they can eat to grow big enough and get fat enough to yield the best meat product.” The 18 month old cattle are then sold as live animals (whole or portions, quarters or halves) and the customer pays for the processing. The animals are slaughtered right on the farm—Martin says that the animals are used to moving right through that area of the farm, “So when the day comes…the butcher is here and it’s over very quickly. It reduces the stress on the animal.”
Martin’s pastured chickens also boast better health as compared with those raised in conventional large scale farms. That is due in part to a life without hormones or antibiotics. But it’s primarily an outdoor environment that promotes healthy hens and the best eggs. Martin says that the “free range” label seen in grocery stores can be misleading. “The laying hens raised on industrial farms might have a small door with access to a patch of bare ground, but many of those chickens don't go outside and their diet doesn’t vary.”
In contrast, Martin’s laying hens, (a cross between Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock breeds) spend much of their lives outdoors, in the sun and under moveable canvas-topped hoop shelters. This allows them to eat a more natural and varied diet as they follow the cattle moving across the pasture.
At peak production, his 500 chickens lay nearly 40 dozen brown eggs a day. The shell color is due to the breed of hen. It’s a misperception that brown eggs are superior to white. Instead, says Larry, “The nutritional content is dependent on their diet.” The added nutrients from a pasture diet means eggs have a darker, orange colored yolk rather than the typical light yellow yolks from conventional egg farms.
Eggs from the Martin Family Ranch are sold directly to individuals and families (he makes winter deliveries) and also to restaurants, the Ashland Food Co-op, and the grower’s markets. Martin says the eggs are typically laid in the morning—he packs them by the afternoon, and gets them into refrigeration and out to customers where they retain freshness for up to a month.
For now, Martin is keeping the egg and beef sales going—mainly by word of mouth and loyal customers who, once they’ve tried his products, keep coming back for more. As for the future, Martin is considering adding a couple of dairy cows, as the pasture and good forage would mean high quality milk. He remembers milking cows when he was a boy in Missouri and would like to add raw milk to his family’s diet and be able to offer a limited amount to a few customers.
The Martins welcome visitors to the farm. To see what a family farm looks like, give Larry a call. (541-664-3778).
Keith Henty is an Ashland based journalist.
He can be reached at
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