What exactly does "Beyond Organic" mean?
Because the labels 'organic' and 'natural' have often been rendered meaningless, we refer to ourselves as "Beyond Organic". This means we have chosen to forgo pursuing 'USDA Organic' certification because it would permit the use of chemicals and methods that we would never consider using. Here's what we do, you decide for yourself whether it's "organic" (and we think you'll be reassured).
Diet: All our cattle are raised on native grass in the local region, where they forage and graze freely. On our "home" ranch they are rotated frequently amongst public and private paddocks under a planned grazing program. We finish our animals on irrigated pasture land which we manage intensively. We use no chemicals on the land at any time, fertilizing naturally by using legumes and natural compost. We do not introduce any kind of foreign substance to our cows' diets at any time, periodically supplementing them with grass hay and salt. If necessary, we allow them access to protein blocks which are certified to be free from animal by-products.
Medication: We vaccinate our calves against life-threatening Blackleg shortly after birth and that is the last time they see a needle, ever. If a cow should become sick (and this is extremely rare), we would provide the necessary medication to reduce suffering, but we would eliminate it from our beef operation.
The "organic" label reinforces the notion that people ought to blindly believe a label or marketing ploy, not being careful about what they put into their bodies. We're afraid some people put more thought into what they put into their car than what they put into themselves.
We believe in integrity and transparency in our operation, inviting our customers out to see for themselves what we do; that free-range, 100% grass fed, and 100% natural really do exist here.
"Natural"
According to the USDA, "Natural" means, "A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product)."
For us, "natural" means that our product consists of animals that are allowed to behave as they would naturally - grazing and roaming, sleeping in the shade of mesquite trees and otherwise living their lives as peacefully as possible. We believe in ensuring that their lives are not interrupted with doses of foreign chemicals, that they eat what they naturally eat and choose--grasses, brush, legumes, and forbes--and that their lives come to a humane and dignified end on the ranch that they are familiar with.
That you are reading this demonstrates your commitment to knowing --truly knowing-- what you are feeding your family. We commend you for your resolve and hope that we meet your exacting standards!
Diet: All our cattle are raised on native grass in the local region, where they forage and graze freely. On our "home" ranch they are rotated frequently amongst public and private paddocks under a planned grazing program. We finish our animals on irrigated pasture land which we manage intensively. We use no chemicals on the land at any time, fertilizing naturally by using legumes and natural compost. We do not introduce any kind of foreign substance to our cows' diets at any time, periodically supplementing them with grass hay and salt. If necessary, we allow them access to protein blocks which are certified to be free from animal by-products.
Medication: We vaccinate our calves against life-threatening Blackleg shortly after birth and that is the last time they see a needle, ever. If a cow should become sick (and this is extremely rare), we would provide the necessary medication to reduce suffering, but we would eliminate it from our beef operation.
The "organic" label reinforces the notion that people ought to blindly believe a label or marketing ploy, not being careful about what they put into their bodies. We're afraid some people put more thought into what they put into their car than what they put into themselves.
We believe in integrity and transparency in our operation, inviting our customers out to see for themselves what we do; that free-range, 100% grass fed, and 100% natural really do exist here.
"Natural"
According to the USDA, "Natural" means, "A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product)."
For us, "natural" means that our product consists of animals that are allowed to behave as they would naturally - grazing and roaming, sleeping in the shade of mesquite trees and otherwise living their lives as peacefully as possible. We believe in ensuring that their lives are not interrupted with doses of foreign chemicals, that they eat what they naturally eat and choose--grasses, brush, legumes, and forbes--and that their lives come to a humane and dignified end on the ranch that they are familiar with.
That you are reading this demonstrates your commitment to knowing --truly knowing-- what you are feeding your family. We commend you for your resolve and hope that we meet your exacting standards!