Skelton Farms Piedmontese Beef
a Family Farm
 
 

    

Grass fed is Best

 

Grass fed beef is a healthier, more flavorful and more nutrient dense product than grain fed beef. Our cattle have access to several pastures around the farm and are free to roam as they like in and out of pastures and over the wooded areas of the farm. The pastures are never over grazed. We feed only hay raised on our farm. We grow our hay without the use of pesticides and herbicides. We harvest it when the nutrient content will yield the highest quality hay. It dries in the sun and is baled and stored in our barns out of the weather to further ensure quality. All cattle also have access to free choice * minerals in various feeders around the farm.

(*eat it when they need it)


Grass Finished

 

What is grass finished? ~ a frequent question we get here on the farm.

 

Simply put, all of our cattle eat nothing but grass; fresh pasture when available and dry hay during the winter months.  This includes the mother cows and the breeding bulls. Many farms feed grass during the early months of a calves life and feed grain during the last few months of a steers growth in order to put added weight and fat on the steer. This would be an example of grass fed and corn finished steer. Unlike others advertising "grass-fed" our cattle are never fed grain and never confined to a feed lot.

Cattle are ruminants and as such are not equipped to digest grains. The ingesting of grains can lead to a weakened immune system and can cause digestive upset. An all grass diet is as nature intended. As a result our cattle are much healthier than most feedlot beef and/or corn fed beef.





From Forbes Magazine 7/09

Forbes magazine rated grass fed beef as one of the top ten healthiest foods on earth; an excerpt from the article follows along with a link to the entire article.

Grass-Fed Meat

Meat from grass-fed cows has a much different fat profile than ordinary supermarket meat: high in omega-3s, lower in potentially harmful omega-6s and loaded with CLA, a kind of fat known for its anti-cancer activity. A superb source of protein and vitamin B12, it's also missing the antibiotics, steroids and hormones found in the meat that comes from feedlot farms.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/07/healthiest-foods-nutrition-lifestyle-health-healthiest-foods_print.html


 

NOW Animal Welfare Approved Certifide &

Certified Grassfed from

A Greener World

Tender Delicious Beef from our farm to your family

100% Grass Fed,

Pasture Raised

Piedmontese Beef

*NEVER FED GRAIN

  1. *Lean and Tender

  2. *Genetically unique cattle with superior quality beef 

  3. *Born, bred and raised on our farm in Pennsylvania

  4. *Never given antibiotics

  5. *Never given growth hormones

  6. *Completely GMO free, never fed GM or GE hay

  7. *Never Confined, raised in native grass pastures

  8. *Dry aged

  9. *Processed at a small, local, family operated butcher

  10. *Pesticide & Herbicide free

  11. *High in Omega 3 and CLA

  12. *Members of PA Preferred

  13. *Members of PASA

  14. *Members of NAPA & PAUS

  15. *Members of Local Harvest

  16. *Members of Eat Wild

  17. *Members of Slow Food

  18. *Members of the National Hay Association

  19. *Phone 814-734-7008 for more information


  More Reasons to Eat Grass-fed
 According to a 2009 study* conducted by the USDA and Clemson University, grass-fed beef is better for human health than grain-fed beef in ten ways:


1.   Lower in total fat


2.   Higher in beta-carotene

3.   Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)


4.   Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin


5.   Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium

6.   Higher in total omega-3s

7.   Better ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)

8.   Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter

9.   Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)


10. Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

We've been brainwashed into thinking that all fats are bad for us, but the truth is that fats are a necessary component of a healthy diet. The human body needs an array of fats in the right amounts to function and remain disease-free. Grass-fed beef is one way to add those healthy fats to a balanced diet.
Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids are polyunsaturated fats that play an important part in growth and metabolism. They can't be synthesized by the human body, so they have to come from our diet. Both reduce inflammation, lower the amount of serum cholesterol and triglycerides, prevent excess clotting and reduce the risk of cancer.


While both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are important individually, they also work in tandem and the ratio is critical. According to the National Center for Biotechnology, a typical Western diet can be excessively heavy on the Omega 6s – up to a 30:1 ratio – when the ideal is closer to 1:1. The proper ratio can reduce the risk of many chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is another potent weapon in the arsenal against chronic disease. CLA can reduce cancer, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and insulin resistance.
Vaccenic Acid is a transfat that occurs naturally in ruminant animals, but unlike its synthetically-produced cousins, is important for good health. A recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition showed that vaccenic acid protects against arteriosclerosis, a contributing factor in cardiovascular disease.
Saturated Fats (cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins – LDL or “bad” cholesterol) all play a significant role in heart disease and stroke.

The choice is clear – grass fed beef is the healthy way to eat.

*S.K. Duckett et al, Journal of Animal Science, (published online) June 2009, “Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: III. Tissue proximate, fatty acid, vitamin and cholesterol content.”


Call Trish at 814-734-7008 for information or to place an order


All information & photos in this website are the property of Patricia Skelton and are not to be reprinted or copied with out written permission.



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All photos are taken by and property of Trish Skelton and may not be used or printed with out written permission