Do a search for Barzona cattle (www.barzona.
www.barzonas.
They are a lot like Bonsmara (sp??) and lineage is back to the Africander.
Lots of browse (graze) in these cattle, very hardy, and have documented a
tenderness gene in the meat.
We have 60 head in the feedyard. We raise on forage and then finish out
on grain, but all grain we have raised ourselves. They eat really
good........
Karen
> This hit home: it is one reason we do Longhorn and heritage breeds.
>
> What I am finding is that the "for production" breeds basically
> require a lot of human help to survive. I do not have the time or
> energy. I raised meat chickens once, and found it really depressing.
>
> There are a lot of stories about this that show up in science
> magazines. In Africa, the "native" cows don't grow very fast,
> and they are mean. But they can fight off local predators (big
> horns) and they survive anything.
>
> Texas Longhorns are the remnants of some cows that the Spaniards
> let loose in the 1500's or so. They multiplied massively, and were
> mostly all "harvested" in the 1800's. But they simply don't require care.
> Actually you *can't* care for them, because a Longhorn cow isn't going
> to let you anywhere near her calf! They are nice enough though, if
> they know you, and extremely intelligent.
>
> In terms of fasting ... these wild cows can live off next to nothing.
> When you look at them, they look tough and skinny. In fact, they
> have very little fat (and none of it is subcutaneous, unlike Angus).
> They do have less meat than an Angus, and bigger, stronger, bones.
> Which is bad for farmers who are paid by the pound.
>
> But the meat is *different* and it fills a person up faster. Ditto for
> free-range chickens. It is extremely difficult to eat much of it, no
> matter how tasty it is. It seems to hit the "I'm full" button in a way
> that factory-farmed meat does not. One beef a year is plenty for a
> family, or maybe two families, and one chicken a week is enough
> too (esp. when you add the eggs).
>
> I have no idea why that is, but it would make an interesting study.
> I'm pretty sure that Americans are consuming WAY more than
> they actually need, because the "off button" is jammed.
>
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 6, 2009 at 5:09 AM, <havens@iowatelecom.
>> I was really interested in your numbers about the $$$$ involved with
>> skipping one meal per week.
>>
>> But we raise cattle, and I dairy-farmed for 25 years, and not all
>> meat/dairy products are produced in the "big" farm picture.
>>
>> Lots of farmers and livestock producers are doing what they think is
>> best
>> for the health and welfare of the crops and livestock they grow. The
>> almighty buck is just a necessary evil of the banker. Most farmers get
>> less than a 2% return on investment on everything they own, and usually
>> do
>> not even calculate a return on labor for the hours they work. It would
>> be
>> too depressing to even think about.
>>
>> Livestock producers check cattle 7 days a week, often every 2 hours all
>> day and night long, in calving season. We take calves into the house to
>> try and get them warmed up in cold weather, and learn how to give IVs
>> and
>> shots and medications only if necessary to get them to live. The
>> stories
>> I can tell you about farmers putting their livestock before themselves
>> and
>> their families are endless.
>>
>> Even the big boys try and get the livestock to live. Essential to
>> their
>> bottom line. I read an article once about comparing the hormones in
>> beef to that in fresh lettuce, and the lettuce was much higher.....but I
>> have to find it again. I will try and not put out that kind of info
>> without a direct source.
>>
>> We feed our own cattle out, and do no implants or hormones, and there
>> isn't a market for selling 60 head of cattle handled this way, to offset
>> the extra costs.
>>
>> There is a gap between the small operations that grown things this way,
>> and people concerned about these issues.
>>
>> Just an honest opinion/observation from "the other side"
>>
>> Karen
>>
>>
>>>
>>> You make a good point as to what would happen if we all fasted one day
>>> a
>>> week. I think I posted a few months back something about the effect
>>> Fast-5 would make on the economy if only one million people went on
>>> Fast-5. If I save $200 a month by not eating lunch or dinner, you
>>> multiply that times one million, you would take $200,000,000 out of the
>>> food industry per month! That would be quite a hit to the food growers
>>> and animal farmers. BUT... along the same lines, since they wouldn't
>>> have
>>> to make so much food, we might be able to go back to a more humane way
>>> of
>>> raising animals than what is used now, like Heather mentioned. The
>>> animals would be happier and we might be as well.
>>>
>>> -Rick
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --- In fast5@yahoogroups.
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Yea, I know. It was a touchy question to ask. I do not associate
>>>> myself
>>>> with any religion, but I think many religions do use fasting as a
>>>> spiritual practice, just not on a regular (monthly, weekly, daily)
>>>> schedule. If I'm wrong about this, let me know.
>>>>
>>>> I know some groups that try to do meatless Mondays. I wonder if we
>>>> should also have Fasting Fridays, for those of us who eat multiple
>>>> times
>>>> a day. Or maybe, one day just doesn't cut it, but can you imagine if
>>>> everyone did fast one day a week, what could happen!?
>>>>
>>>> ~Erica
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------
>>
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Heather Twist
> http://eatingoffthe
>
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