North Florida Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Grass fed beef
Has anyone tried it? How different is the taste from corn fed? I've been attempting to educate myself a bit more on where our meat comes from and what exactly it is that we're buying. I would love to find a local farm that we can buy these things from, but we just don't have the space to have that much meat on hand. We don't eat a ton of beef and it would take us entriely too long to work through 1/4 of a cow.
I've also been interested in learning more about the farms that all of our meat comes from, the conditions the animals live in, antibiotics, hormones etc...but there's so much information out there from both sides it's hard to know what information is most accurate. I know Publix has their Greenwsie section...but it's limited and it's claims: " raised humanely with no antibiotics or added hormones?ever?on a 100% vegetarian diet," seem a little vague to me. The "vegetarian" diet part leads me to believe that the cows are probably still fed corn, but then wouldn't they also likely have antibiotics? How about Whole Foods? They seem to pride themselves on the farms that their meat comes from, but again, I'm just a little lost on what to believe.
I think I can get DH on board with spending a little more on local, healthy, sustainable food, but I need to do my research. My in laws history also runs deep into the cattle ranches and feed lots of Texas, so I'm sure my mother in law would laugh while she gave me a big speech about corn fed beef being fine, feed lots being humane, blah,blah,blah. I'm just trying to make healthier, more socially responsible choices for our family. Any tips or ideas?
I've also been interested in learning more about the farms that all of our meat comes from, the conditions the animals live in, antibiotics, hormones etc...but there's so much information out there from both sides it's hard to know what information is most accurate. I know Publix has their Greenwsie section...but it's limited and it's claims: " raised humanely with no antibiotics or added hormones?ever?on a 100% vegetarian diet," seem a little vague to me. The "vegetarian" diet part leads me to believe that the cows are probably still fed corn, but then wouldn't they also likely have antibiotics? How about Whole Foods? They seem to pride themselves on the farms that their meat comes from, but again, I'm just a little lost on what to believe.
I think I can get DH on board with spending a little more on local, healthy, sustainable food, but I need to do my research. My in laws history also runs deep into the cattle ranches and feed lots of Texas, so I'm sure my mother in law would laugh while she gave me a big speech about corn fed beef being fine, feed lots being humane, blah,blah,blah. I'm just trying to make healthier, more socially responsible choices for our family. Any tips or ideas?
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Re: Grass fed beef
Definitely check out Whole Foods. They have a rating system with strict guidelines -- it tells you exactly what conditions in which the animals live their lives. You can read about it online, the whooooooole list of criteria that a farm has to meat for each rating level.
The truth about other labels of "organic" or "free-range" are honestly disgusting in terms of what they can get away with. I think I read once that "Free range" qualifies any chicken that basically has ever had a toe in the grass. I would honestly rather buy industry meat than endorse a company that purposely preys on people trying to be more ethical about their choices.
And yes, "vegeterian diet" is almost always going to be corn. The corn will likely have pesticides, but I don't think that antibiotics are as common there.
I believe Whole Foods does carry it, and I know that Native Sun does for certain. I believe the brand for them is Cowboy? It's in their small butcher section and is a local farm. For me the taste and smell is slightly stronger, but not in a negative way--the smell of regular beef is very bland and almost nonexistent, so it is noticeable. I buy that brand from them when I can, in pound packs, and freeze it. It's easier to do ground beef. They even put it on sale periodically so you can watch for that.
Pricewise, it's slightly more expensive than regular beef, but I feel like the price of beef has been going up so much in general, so it isn't hugely noticeable. I've been trying to stay with organic beef for the last 10 years, and the difference in price between that and buying entirely local organic/grass fed is negligable. It's all worth it to me to avoid the extra hormones and antibiotics.
Completely random side note that proves I may have psychic powers:
This morning I had a dream that I was going to post a poll on TN about what kind of eggs we all buy - organic, cage free, vegetarian, etc.
Please continue with your regularly scheduled Nesting.
Oooh, thanks Ashlee. I'll have to see if DH wants to go up there with me this weekend.
Thanks for all of the info ladies. I'll definitely read more about Whole Food's meats. DH loves it there, so I can probably get him to go there with me this weekend & then I'll drag him to Native Sun too. I think it will be easy for myself to make the transition to grass fed, but DH loves his marbled fatty cuts, so I might have to work on him a bit.
Jen- Reading awhile back about how slack the citeria is for some of those standards is what started this whole education process. It was slightly shocking to say the least.
Devon- Maybe I'll just add some free range chicken to my back yard, lol I don't think my neighbors will mind.
You were probably joking, but I would love to have chickens! (for eggs) We have been talking about when logistically we can get them. I looked up the zoning restrictions for my neighborhood, and it looks like we're allowed 1 chicken, which I think is ridiculous. I would like 3, DH is pushing for more. Right now we buy our eggs from a local farm.
My Ovulation Chart
Thanks for asking, Ashlee. I semi-suck at it. I've had a lot going on lately, so I haven't made it to Whole Foods (I really wish there was one closer), and I just wasn't getting enough food eating vegetarian to fill me up, so I kept eating complete crap food and snacks that were really unhealthy. Over the past couple of weeks I've just bought some regular meat to get my diet back on track. Hopefully next weekend I can get to whole foods..
I'm just such a picky eater, that going no meat cold turkey (cold tofurkey, I guess) was just too hard for me. I know I'm making excuses for myself, but I'm trying to give myself some slack and make more gradual changes so that I can feel better about what I eat and still eat WELL.
I would shiv my neighbors if they got chickens.
Signed,
Girl who grew up with half a dozen chickens & knows how fuuking annoying they really are.
My Ovulation Chart
Honestly, that's EXACTLY why we didn't even consider neighborhoods without HOAs. I like rules & order, dammit!
Haha, us too! Sure there are drawbacks, but we actually have decent lot lines and I like that I know for an absolute fact that some douche can't move across the street, paint his house purple and throw 3 of his broken down cars up on cinder blocks in his driveway. We're lucky though. Our HOA seems to stay out of our business while still making sure that things still stay fairly orderly and my resale value stays protected.
I honestly have no issue w/the chickens as long as their not loudly cluck, clucking non stop. Now if you get a rooster, we'll have a problem.
But that's what they do. Seriously. It is.
I love animals, but farm animals belong on a farm.
I don't even want to do research on this whole topic about what I'm eating because I know it will make me feel bad and change my habits and we just can't afford that right now.
My Ovulation Chart
Haha. Right? Who knew that a few chickens could stir up such hatred.
I do have a little chicken hate... Mostly because they're noisy & stupid & don't laugh, but I was chased/attacked by a rooster when I was kid. Growing up, we had dogs, cats, chickens, goats & horses... But we lived in a rural area... Not in a subdivision.
That's fair. I appreciate the fact that my neighbors can't get a rooster or a bunch of goats. Like Brit though, if I lived on a farm, it would be like Noah's Ark.
I read the bolded part and thought, "wtf?!? Why the heck would you expect a chicken to laugh? That's ridiculous."
Well, Gonzo's chickens totally laughed, so pff there.
Incidentally, someone down the street from my parents got special permission for a short time to own a goat (their child needed the milk or something?) and they had stone pillars that the goat would leap up on and pose. It was pretty funny. But it was only a few months.
That's because goats are awesome
It's true. Dh wants one. Badly. We were at a peeting zoo w/our nephew and for some reason this one goat was very upset that another goat would not get up from where he was laying. What did he do (after a few head butts?) He proceeded to blow raspberries on him over and over again. One of the funniest things I've ever seen.