Life on Grass

 

The life of a grassfed beef on Alderspring is about as good as it gets. Our cattle are never confined in a feed lot. They spend their days on lush diverse pastures on the home ranch along the Pahsimeroi River, or on wild ranges cared for 24/7 by our conservation riders. Even in winter they remain unconfined, and free to cover a large area in search of stockpiled grasses from the summer, or to enjoy the fresh hay we lay out for them every day, hay that was harvested from our pastures in the long days of summer.

At all times, they are allowed freedom of choice in their associations and herd dynamics, their general activities of moving, eating and resting, and their choice of what to eat. After over 20 years of raising grass fed beef, we have come to realize the wisdom of the animal in choosing what to eat when. We think it is why our beef is so good, and our animals so healthy.

The freedom of choice in feed is complemented by low stress handling at all phases of the animal’s life. We find that animals handled quietly and slowly are healthier, calmer, and, we think, happier. They are safer to be around because they do not see us as a threat, but they retain many of their wild innate behaviors.

Our philosophy of raising cattle is to allow the animal to express its native behaviors and health. We try to mimic the natural rhythms of our native grazers like deer and elk. This means that we calve late in the spring, rather than in midwinter. It means we leave the calf with its mother until the mom naturally weans the now teenager as she readies to calve her new baby. It means we do not confine our cattle, but allow them to move to the places that they feel most comfortable.