You have to keep in mind that feedlot beef and grain feeds are heavily
subsidized by the US government making the inputs cheaper for feedlot
cattle than for pastured animals. The cost of land is high and most
grazers need at least an acre per beef to be able to bring it to size
in 18mos time. Grass finished beef does not get subsidies but is tied,
in perception, to prices set by subsidized products. At the same time,
grass finished beef do not put on as much weight in a given period of
time as do grain finished, making the product even more expensive to
the producer. At the same time, grass finished beef is REAL FOOD and
feedlot beef contributes to human illness as well as to environmental
degredation.  (The cow farts that are contributing to global warming
come from feedlot beef, not grass beef)

Just some reasons to see why it's worth a little more to support local
grass growers.

Yes, Whole Foods robs people who want to create a better world by what
they let on their forks. It's a shame.

you can get reasonable prices on grass finished beef by buying direct,
especially by buying locker portions.

What do they call this? COWMOB? or somethin when a farmer has a beef
cut and wrapped and then pulls into a gym or some other place where
paleo people gather and sells meat by the cut at the price of meat by
the quarter with the understanding that all the meat will be purchased
before he leaves?

It's this sort of cooperation that can grow local grass finished beef
at reasonable prices everywhere. (BUT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING!! THERE
ARE MANY BEEF RAISERS WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT GRASS FINISHED BEEF
IS AND STILL GRAIN THEIR ANIMALS FEELING THAT IF THEY HAD GRASS
AVAILABLE THEY ARE "GRASS FED" not true!!)

=Allan in WV

On Wed, Dec 28, 2011 at 10:12 AM, Ben Liberman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> At 10:11 PM -0600 12/27/11, Ben Liberman wrote:
>>I'm looking for a review, if I can get one, before I try some...
>>
>>Quote from the web page at: http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/beef_cuts_and_prices.htm
>>
>>"Primal Ground Beef:  Ground beef mixed with organ meats.  Beef trim, beef liver trimmed, beef heart trimmed, beef spleen trimmed, beef kidneys.  Pretty ugly stuff for Cavemen."
>>
>>Thanks all,
>
> My guess, from the responses is that no one here has tasted this yet.
>
> I live in Chicago, and as local (within 500 miles) grass fed operations start to come up to speed, the local restaurant trade is starting to migrate to grass finished.  That would be 6 restaurants so far in a metro area of about 10 million (not including a few Argentine steak houses that may or may not get their meat from Argentina)
>
> Not wanting to pay a 20-50% premium for grass finished at Whole Foods, I am quite happy to buy frozen meat from Texas, Missouri, New Zealand, Argentina, or anywhere else that it comes from.
>
> My primary suppliers are Ted Slanker (http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/) and US Wellness (http://www.grasslandbeef.com/).
>
> I expect that, in time, economy of scale will reduce production costs for local producers, and market costs for the consumer.  I do not expect to have any problem finding local sources at reasonable prices in another 5 to 10 years.