Pasture to Plate: The Beef Life Cycle

Have you ever wondered how that nice, juicy sirloin or T-Bone gets to your plate?  I know that a lot of consumers have!  It is hard to understand how our beef gets from pasture to plate, and there is a lot of gray area in the middle!  This whole process can take around 3 years from conception of the cow to harvest of the steer.  During this time, the calf will change hands approximately 2-3 times, as the beef industry is not vertically integrated like pork and chicken.  Below is a description of the typical life cycle of a beef cow.

On the Ranch
Momma cows are bred selectively to bulls, either through A.I. (Artificial Insemination) or through Natural Service.  Nine months later, a baby calf is born.  If this baby is a bull and isn't going to be kept for breeding purposes, he will be come a steer.  If this is a heifer, she may be kept as a replacement female or continue along the same pathway as her male counterparts.  These babies are kept with their moms until weaning, which is about 6-8 months of age, and will weigh anywhere between 450-700 pounds.  Ranchers take special care to make sure weaning is as low stress for the calf as possible.  During this time, they eat grass and drink milk.  They are also vaccinated and prepared for the next stage of their life.

Minnie, with her bull calf, Mickey

Backgrounding

After the calf is weaned from it's mother, it is sent to the auction barn where it is bought by a backgrounder, or a stocker.  This person will take the calf and put it on pasture, where the calf will continue to grow before it is ready to be transferred to the feedyard.  This is a very important part of the process.  As the name implies, this helps to "background" these cattle for the feedyard by increasing the amount of protein and fat in their ration so that they are ready for the concentrated diet ahead.  If we did not include this step, it would be similar to when you are used to eating light meals and then all the sudden have a diet that is rich in fats and carbohydrates - it would upset your stomach a bit!

Calves on pasture during the backgrounding phase

To the Feedyard

Cattle again change hands, typically through the auction barn, and start their new life in the feedyard.  Here, they are fed a specially formulated ration that is tailored to meet their dietary needs and have access to this feed whenever they please.  Feedyard nutritionists evaluate the type of cattle, their weights and what their end goal is before formulating this ration.  Did you know, cattle are fed within 10 minutes of the same time everyday!

During this time, cattle have access to water at all times, and have plenty of room to roam about.  In fact, there are guidelines for the size of pens and how many cattle can be placed in them!   These pens may have mounds of dirt, where cattle can play "king of the hill," one of their favorite games.  Cattle will typically spend 4-6 months here.  If you ask me, there isn't much better of a life than this!

Cattle at the Feed bunk.  A ration includes roughages (hay, silage)
and grains (corn, soybean, etc.)

Aerial View of a Feedyard.  Notice the amount of space
the cattle have.

Packing Plant

Cattle arrive at the packing plant weighing about 1,200 to 1,400 pounds.  They are off-loaded carefully so as not to excite or stress the animals.  Packing plants are built with very specific guidelines in regards to building structure, location of areas, and footing.  Cattle are put into holding pens where they have time to rest and have a drink before entering the plant.   USDA inspectors also perform an antemortem inspection at this time to ensure that they cattle are healthy, can move about and are disease free.  After this, the cattle are brought up carefully and calmly, where they enter a series of winding pathways with high, solid walls.  The shape and structure of these chutes keeps the cattle calm and moving forward of their own accord. (A great video that goes into further depth on the workings of a packing plant can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMqYYXswono)

Throughout the entire harvest process, packing plant employees take careful measures to ensure the safety of the product.  After the cattle are hung on the rail and eviscerated (removal of the intestines), another USDA inspector performs a postmortem inspection to again check for signs of disease.  If the cattle are passed, they are stamped with a "U.S. Inspected and Passed" stamp and are free to go on and be further processed.

USDA Inspected and Passed Stamp

Beef Carcasses on the rail

USDA inspector performing the postmortem inspection

Retail Outlet

Beef is shipped all over the world, in addition to restaurants and grocery stores right here in the U.S.  This is where you can pick up your favorite cut and turn it into a tasty meal.  Once you have selected your beef, the rest is up to you!

A large selection of cuts available to you!

Which Beef is the Best? The Labeling Dilemma

As you may have seen in the grocery store, there are several different labels put onto packages of beef you buy at the store.  These may be confusing or can easily be misunderstood; I even have a hard time figuring out exactly what they mean, and I'm a beef producer!  After looking at all the different packages, you may be left confused as to what is good for you and which product you should buy.  I'm here to help clear that up for you.

Natural
Let's start with something simple.  The label natural is one that you see on several different products, but what exactly defines "natural"?  As stated by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), natural beef is defined as, "meat raised for human consumption without additives and minimally processed." This beef cannot contain any artificial flavors or colors, no chemical preservatives and no other artificial or synthetic ingredients.   This means, most beef you buy in the store is all-natural!  So what isn't labeled as natural?  Well, hot dogs or sausage would not be labeled so because they are further processed to add flavors before being packaged.  Another example of beef that cannot be labeled natural is those cuts that have been injected with tenderizers, such as a saline solution.  Just because the item is not labeled "natural" doesn't mean that it is bad for you!

Grass-Fed
Grass-fed indicates that cattle received the majority of their nutrients from grass throughout their life.  The USDA monitors what can be labeled as grass-fed and does not limit the use of antibiotics, pesticides used on the pasture or growth-promoting agents.  Beef can be certified as grass-fed and organic if it meets the standards for both.  Beef from cattle fed grass may look a bit different than conventionally raised beef, in the fact that it is generally leaner and the fat is more of a yellow color due to the grass.  Just because beef is labeled grass-fed does not mean that these cattle cannot be finished on corn!  There is little to no difference in the nutritional profiles of grass-fed and conventionally raised beef, except that grass fed may be slightly leaner.

Certified Angus
Here is another popular label that you often see in stores and in restaurants.  Certified angus beef is beef that is in the upper 2/3 of the Choice grade (Grades are a measure of marbling and give an idea of how positive the eating experience should be). Cattle must also be at least 51% black.  This label just means that you are buying a cut that is going to be tasty and delicious!

Prime
This is a label that is starting to gain popularity.  It is similar to Certified Angus in the fact that it deals with the grade of the cut.  However, this label means that the beef will be in the Prime grade, which is the highest grade of beef with the most amount of intramuscular fat, or marbling.  Only about 1-2% of the cattle harvested are prime, so this meat will be on the more expensive end!

Organic
Here we reach a label that is a bit more confusing.  The USDA governs what can and cannot be labeled organic and there are strict guidelines for this label.  Organic beef must be raised on a certified organic pasture and fed organic grains (pasture and grains cannot be treated with synthetic fertilizer or be genetically engineered), and have unrestricted outdoor access.  Furthermore, these cattle cannot be treated with antibiotics or growth-promoting agents at anytime in their life.  Often, this is thought to be interchangeable with the term natural, but the two are very different.  Raising organic beef is costly, requires more land, and generally yields less per carcass, so beef prices tend to be higher when buying organic.

Conclusion
So, after reading all this information, you may be left wondering, what is the best beef?  Well, I am here to tell you, it is all good!  It is just a matter of preference.  Grass-fed beef is typically leaner so it will require different cooking methods and will have a bit of a taste difference from conventionally raised cattle.  I would also like to note that, with all the hype surrounding organic, it is not necessarily better for you, or for the environment!  In fact, I am a big proponent AGAINST raising beef organically on a large scale.  Here is a link to a great article that talks about why organic isn't what some make it out to be - http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/2012/09/24/pesticides-food-fears/.  This doesn't mean that I don't think we should have organic beef, in fact, quite the opposite.  I think we SHOULD have these niche markets to accommodate all consumers, but it should not be applied to the production of all cattle.  There is nothing wrong with conventional beef - it is perfectly safe, and is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to raise cattle.  It certainly has my vote!

My favorite style of beef - Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon.
Doesn't get much better than that!

GMO's - Great for My Overall Health

Today, I had the privilege of again volunteering at my local Sam's Club to help promote beef.  This is my seventh demo day working on selling beef for the Beef Retail Promotions sponsored by American National Cattlewomen and the Beef Checkoff.  I have had a terrific time demoing with my demonstrator Ms. Genie!  During this time, we have gotten some interesting customers and helped to sell lots of beef!

The Silly, and Wonderful Ms. Genie!

Pointing out our signs while serving Steak and Salad

One of the customers I had today enjoyed our sample but had concerns about GMO's.  I informed her that they are not bad for your health, but she was adamant that they were and she had done extensive research that proved that they modified your genetics.  Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to talk with her further about the research she had found, as I am genuinely interested in what is so bad about GMO's. I would like to give you the facts behind GMO's and my opinion as to their usage.

What is a GMO Anyway?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism.  We have been modifying plants and animals for millennia.  Desert people have selected stallions to breed with their mares that will be faster and more heat tolerant.  There have been fruits bred without seeds, and corn bred to be larger and have more kernels.  Tea cup or miniature animals are great examples of this.  These processes have been bred through a term called artificial selection, and are limited only to naturally occurring variations.  This is where genetic modification has found it's calling.

Selective Breeding - How we have developed several things
from one plant

Genetic modification and engineering allows us to extract genes from a totally unrelated species and use those to better our crops.  The reason we use these is to improve pesticide resistance, increase nutritional value, drought/frost resistant or make these crops resistant to pesticides.  All of these aspects allow farmers to produce a more economical product with higher yields, which means lower prices for you at the grocery store.

We Need GMO's.

Healthy cotton boll before it blooms to product cotton

With a world population that is rising quickly, the UN has stated we need to produce 50% more food by 2050.  There are several ways we could achieve this.  We could mow down more rainforests to make land for crops or we could invest tens of millions into trying to build infrastructure to effectively use hydroponics on a large scale.  Neither of these sound like economically or environmentally friendly options to me.  On the other hand, we could use GM crops.  My vote goes for the last one because it keeps prices low for consumers and helps to conserve vital areas of importance.  With the use of these modified crops, we are better prepared to handle extreme changes in temperatures, which is happening more frequently, and we can battle the diseases and pests that often damage our crops.

Damaged Cotton Boll

Inside of Cotton boll damaged by Boll weevil

GMO's in Use

Did you know that genetic modification has helped to produce bacteria that make insulin?  This has helped to change the lives of millions of Type 1 Diabetics.  Another great example of GMO's saving the day is a product called Golden Rice.  Around 250 million children are Vitamin A deficient in the world, which can lead to blindness.  Sure, we could put in supplement centers, but these are expensive to build and distribute, let alone you have to convince the people to take them.  Thanks to genetic modification, Golden Rice, a rice with a corn gene that helps to produce beta-carotene (precursor to Vitamin A), has been developed.  Since rice is a staple in many of these people's diets, this is easy and cheap to implement.  One single bowl of Golden Rice provides 60% of a child's daily need for Vitamin A.   And contrary to popular belief, this was developed by  foundation-funded academic researchers, not big companies.  This has helped to save millions of people and improve their way of living.  Other great examples are BT cotton, which is resistant to boll weevils (a pest who severely impacted cotton yields), and RoundUp Ready Crops - these are resistant to the weedkiller RoundUp which allows them to be sprayed with the pesticide and not be harmed while weeds are killed.

People Harvesting Golden Rice

Golden Rice on the left, normal rice on the left

Are GMO's Bad for my Health?

There are many concerns that GMO's may be bad for your health and that altering the genes in these crops may create dire consequences for our genetic profile.  There have been several well designed studies that prove there are NO health risks.   Below is an excerpt from an article about GMO's: 

"A lot of fear was sparked about the safety of GM foods after a scientist named Gilles-Eric Seralini published a study that found rats fed with Monsanto's glyphosphate-resistant corn developed more tumors and died earlier than controls.  After these results, many demanded tighter regulations whereas others called for an outright ban on the corn.  However, numerous problems with the study came to light which led to its retraction from the journal.
First off, Seralini is an outspoken anti-GMO activist.  At the time of initial publication he had conflicting interests - he was releasing a book and a documentary on the research.  For the experiments Seralini used Sprague-Dawley rats that are prone to developing spontaneous tumors.  He only used 10 rats for each group, for a period of two years which is almost a rat's lifespan.  The study was described as a "statistical fishing trip" by reviewers - if you test enough variables for long enough, you'll get a result something.  This is not good science.  The recomendation for carcinogenicity studies is that 65 or more of each sex should be used.  There is a high probability that he results were due to chance."

Shared from:  http://www.iflscience.com/environment/myths-and-controversies-gmos-0

Summary: 
Until there is any study that proves me different, I know that GMO's are safe to eat and safe for our beef to eat.  They do not have any adverse effects, yet they are helping to reduce the amount of land used, amount of pesticide applied, and keeping costs low at the grocery store.  I really can't see anything wrong with these things!  Over 85% of the corn in the U.S. is modified and there have been no serious illnesses or diseases linked to the use of these crops.  I believe GMO's are helping to solve a growing problem and that we need to embrace them and utilize them for everything they are worth.  They are what is going to keep agriculture going strong in the coming years and allow us to feed ourselves, let alone the world.

Just Another Member of the Family

Our cattle are just that - another member of the family.  They have names, personalities and attitudes uniquely their own.  And they are treated as such.

Bella - Boss Cow. She is our sweetheart.

Julianna - Lovingly referred to as our
"Happy Retard"

Minnie Moo - My Mom's Favorite Baby Girl

I was raised to believe that animals are not dumb. I often think they are smarter than us humans. If you have ever watched how other momma cows will leave their calves with a single cow, you can understand that she is being instructed to be "the babysitter".  Or how they will make the long walk to the watering hole as a group at exactly the same time everyday.  Bella, one of my cows, can open the gate with her nose and tongue when she wants food.  And after all this, some still call these animals unintelligent.

This leads me to the fact that I have a deep respect for my cattle, and I love them just as much as sibling or niece or nephew.  So why would I want to mistreat them, or abuse them as so many sensationalist claims say I do?  I know I speak for ALL ranchers when I say this - WE DO NOT MISTREAT OUR CATTLE. WE LOVE THEM DEARLY AND THEY ARE OUR LIVELIHOOD.
We do things to our cattle with a purpose, and do it in a way that is the least stressful and painful for them.

One of the biggest complaints and worries that you as a consumer might have is the use of antibiotics.  Under no circumstance do we give these to our cattle freely.  There is no need for it.  Instead, if they become ill, we have a veterinarian diagnose what is wrong and are given the proper treatment to administer to these animals.  We do so in a manner that is contingent with strict injection spot guidelines and the amount given is based upon the animal's weight.  It should also be known that these antibiotics have extremely strict withdrawal times, and we have to abide by these, else our cattle cannot be harvested.  I often hear the argument that it would be okay to not give them any treatment because these antibiotics might leave a residue in the meat and cause us consumers to be subject to some new disease or risk factor.  But let me ask you this, if one of your children was sick with a cold, would you just leave them be?  Or would you give them proper medication to help them get better as quickly as possible?  If you chose the latter, than you should understand why we give antibiotics.  We do not want to see our animals in pain or feeling under the weather, so we do what we can to make them better.  From an economic standpoint, it is not profitable to be dosing these animals with antibiotics continuously, as some of the injections are very costly!  Fortunately, our animals rarely get sick, thanks in part to a system that keeps track of diseases and the movement of livestock and the preventative vaccines they are given throughout their lifetimes.

Another concern in regard to raising cattle is the treatment of them.  I see claims made all the time about how we "abuse our animals, and have no regard for their well being."  This is so far from the truth!  It is what I like to call - Bovine Feces (Politically correct for BS).  You may have seen some of the videos or  photos that anti-animal activist groups have posted of inhumane treatment of livestock, but these are often times taken from the perspective of someone who doesn't know why we do what we do and wants to make themselves an overnight celebrity.  If you look closer into several of the shared media, you will find little details that are off.  A great example of this is a photo posted of some dairy cattle moving through disgusting manure/sludge.  PETA has claimed these are the conditions these animals are living in!  But if you take a closer look, and know a little background about cattle, you will notice - they are clean!  How could a cow living in this much filth, be that clean?  Simply put, because they don't live there.  A reasonable explanation could be that they were simply passing through this area - maybe on the move to another barn after it had rained.

Look closely at the tails and underbellies of these cattle
They are mud free!

When reviewing these claims, PLEASE be sure to look closely and don't believe them right off the bat!  Do some research, or talk to a person who is involved in raising cattle - they may be able to tell you what is really going on! I am certainly an advocate for groups that want to make sure we, as an industry, are doing things right and taking care of our critters, but they need to make sure the facts are straight before calling anyone out.

 As ranchers, we do things for a reason, and that is to produce a quality product.  You've all heard the statement "Happy Cows come from California", well I would like to reword that statement and say "Happy Cows make a Good Product." This goes back to the way ranchers make a living - through the sale of their livestock, and not taking care of your animals will reduce their efficiency and value.  Beyond this, there is a moral reason for this.  We love our animals.  And they are member of the family.

Mickey enjoying an afternoon snack

Mickey, our newest member of
the family. Born April 2014

Howdy and Welcome!

Howdy!

I would like to start by introducing myself and giving y'all some background on myself and my mission.  My name is Alicia Smith and I am a junior level student here at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX.  Currently, my family lives in the small town of Sonoita, Arizona.  (For those of you who don't know where this is, which is nearly everyone, it is about 60 miles Southeast of Tucson.  No, I do not live in Mexico, just close to it).  This is where my parents live and take care of my cattle and horses.  Now, to get to the interesting stuff....

 This is about the extent of the "town" of Sonoita

"Arizona's Hidden Jewel" Green During the Monsoons

                                 








I did not start out a beef producer.  Nor did my immediate family raise cattle.  I wasn't raised in a barn, in fact I was raised in a variety of different suburban homes.  My family - Mom, Dad and I - followed wherever my Dad's job led him next, which happened to be several different places!  My Dad pursued a career in mining, which apparently requires you to move around often.  I was originally born in Deer Park, California before moving to South Dakota, Tucson, AZ, Prescott, AZ, Morenci, AZ, Thatcher, AZ, Safford, AZ, Sonoita, AZ and now College Station, TX.  Never in any one of these travels did we live in the country or on a ranch.  So how did I get my love for beef, you may ask?

Well, it all started with horses.  I was that horse crazy girl all throughout elementary school.  You know, the one who wore shirts that said horses over boys?  Ya, I was THAT girl.  My parents helped to suffice my horse craze by letting me do riding lessons, and for a short period, I owned my own horse!  Then, we moved to Morenci and the lessons stopped.  After 11 months there, and moving to Safford, I was back in the saddle!  I found a wonderful friend in Jackie Hoisington, who allowed me to ride and show her horses.  I fell in love with a little blue roan appaloosa, named Blue, who carried me through everything from western pleasure to halter and hunter jumper.  I found my calling in riding jumper horses and showed for several years.  I eventually bought Blue from Jackie and I was given Killian, who I also jumped competitively.

 Jumping Killian 3'6".  

This horse could clear 4 feet like
it was nothing.

                       

Riding Little Blue in a Jumper Class

Jackie also introduced me to raising livestock through 4-H.  She encouraged me to get a lamb, but I was dead set on raising a pig.  Through much persuasion, I was talked into getting a lamb and a hog.  There were two things I found out this year - I wanted to do this again, and that I do NOT like pigs!  The next year, I figured I would try out a steer and a lamb, since it was obvious pigs were not my forte.  So began my love and passion for cattle.  My first steer was less than perfect in a number of ways, but I was absolutely hooked.  Within two years, I bought my first heifer and was quickly improving my quality of cattle.  I began showing intensively on the SAILA (Southern Arizona International Livestock Association) show circuit, and in 2010, finished the year off with Reserve Champion Senior Showman Overall and Fourth Overall Heifer, after taking a home a multitude of ribbons at various shows.  I bred my first heifer, Bella, and began taking an interest in the nutritional aspects of feeding out market steers.  All this time, I also continued to breed, show and sell sheep, which helped to fund the mounting costs of my cattle project.  My cattle were, and are, a labor of love.  But they are something that I enjoy dearly and I am passionate about being a voice for them and the beef industry as a whole.  There are many, many stories, some funny, some sad, in raising my cattle, but that is for another day!

 

My Mom and I.  She is usually behind
the camera, so finding pictures of her is hard!

My Dad with heifer, Julianna

Baby Lambs

"Monty"
2013 AZ National Res. Champion OPB Bull.
Bred and Raised by Ace Club Calves

Kissin' Cows. Senior year steer, Remington Steel

Obviously, I like to kiss my cows!  My cow, Bella, in her show days