Niman's fighting back.

Look what's on the cover of Time Magazine this week!

Beef. Mmmm...
While browsing the magazines today, this pile of meat caught my eye. I assumed that the article wouldn't present me with any new information, but I was happy that such a major magazine was hopefully going to hit mainsteam Americans over the head with information about what's really in their cheap meats.

Surprised was I to find (along with some lovely charts and graphs) that the article was mostly about Bill Niman and his new business ventures! Bill and Nicolette Hahn Niman are part of a movement to raise happy cows that roam freely on happy grass that 1% of happy, healthy and (possibly) wealthy Americans eat.

How lovely of them. And I'll surely seek our their meats. But that might not be as easy as one may think, if one is a newcomer to organic meat purchasing.

Many apologies, I don't want to be negative. I just have a concern about the article.

The Time Magazine article is not referring to the Niman Ranch animals and meats that you can buy (somewhat) cheaply and in bulk from your local Costco. This is Bill and Nicolette's new venture since leaving Niman Ranch in 2007. Niman Ranch products are better choices than most suppliers as they support small farmers are "natural," but they are not organic. Niman Ranch isn't trying to trick you, they say so right here.

Please, read the whole article... I'm all for educating the general public about how to better take care of themselves, our animals, and the land, but please take the initiative and do some research for yourself. Because isn't that the point? Don't just blindly buy what's being sold to you!

betty the cow: a sonnet

eyes closed a field of green lush green i see
blue sky one cloud like sheep a fluffy cloud
chartreuse lime emerald army and kelly
some trees a few or more but not a crowd

upon this field a pasture lived a beast
a cow brown cow one spot or two or three
where sun and snacks and playtime never ceased
we called her pretty "B" short for Betty

good foods massage maybe a big TV
the best for her and often that meant beer
a couch so soft perhaps some therapy
calm life, sweet dear; she'll live here for a year

mm, meat for us one day she will provide
we'll keep her though. ah well, at least her hide.

Poetry is not my calling.

holy cow: the live and times of the wagyu.

a new feature! bet you've been on the edge of your seats for this one, eh?

i thought i'd open up by telling the story of a wagyu cow, the super special breed that results in the famous kobe beef.

once upon a time, in the secluded Hyogo Prefecture of japan, a breed of cow called Wagyu lived happily and peacefully.

(image source: www.asiakan.org)

many, many centuries ago, these cows were primarily used to cultivate rice. during the order of the shogun (from 1635 to 1838), the japanese were prohibited from eating any four-legged animals and the herds of wagyu cattle became closed and secluded. for the most part, this breed has remained closed until this day.

pure wagyu cows are still living a happy and peaceful life in japan, surviving on a diet of grain fodder, sake and beer* and massaged and brushed to keep them beautiful and mellow creatures.

(image source http://www.luciesfarm.com/)

since then, wagyus have done some international travel, coming to america and australia to enjoy their life. the feeding and care practices remain fairly similar to those of their japanese relatives, but the american-raised kobe cows are kind of like their neglected stepchildren. us americans don't believe that the emotional state of the animal makes for better meat, so the massages have gone by the wayside. shouldn't mrs. obama in all of her foodie goodness bring that back? we need more jobs, people! and who wouldn't want to be a cow masseuse? american kobe cattle are often cross-bred with angus cattle, which is why it is often refered to as "kobe-style" instead of just kobe (think: champagne vs. sparkling wine?)

so, does the extreme care that the japanese take change the taste of the beef? or is american (or australian) kobe-style comparable? so many questions.

*why beer, you ask? to help keep cows relaxed and happy? think again. the cows are fed one bottle of beer a day during the cold months of the year to stimulate their appetites. if they are eating normally, no beer for them! makes me wonder, is this an ethical practice? or only steps away from fois gras?

(thanks to the meat man and wikipedia for their assistance in sharing this story.)

beef from the southern hemisphere

Of course, we all know that Argentineans produce and eat more beef than anyone in the world. Wikipedia said that Argentina produces annually about two 240-gram steaks per person worldwide and has six steaks more standing on its pastures and Argentineans eat 68 kg-- yes, that's almost 150 lbs-- a year per capita, but my upcoming trip to Buenos Aires has prompted me to do some research on such statistics. Maybe I'm a skeptic, but my dad has always said 67% of statistics are made up on the spot, so... that's my excuse.

Is there some sort of cow overpopulation problem? Does everyone keel over from heart disease at the age of 38? Are they lazy about their food choices? Or is the meat just better and healthier in places that, well, aren't America?

Okay, let's tackle that one question at a time.

Maybe there is a bit of an overpopulation problem. Since the 16th century, cows have been enjoying and populating the land. Argentineans began exporting their vast quantities of beef in the late 19th century, and then, well, supply and demand, etc.

Well, according to the interweb at nationmaster.com, about 2,000 people die from heart disease each year in Argentina, putting them around pretty high at number 14 on the list, but no where near the U.S., where heart disease kills nearly 24,000 per year.

Are they lazy with their food choices? Nah, I'm definitely an advocate of eating what is of quality locally. Why import Australian lamb when you've got the best beef in your back yard? And there's lots of other wonderful things to consume in Argentina, like wine! But seriously, from what I've read, the food is very similar to that of continental Europe- Italian and Mediterranean influenced with lots of fresh, tasty options, like, um, sausage, empanadas, and yerba mate! And you know they must have lots of that great Chilean produce that fills our markets all winter.

So, that leaves me with the question-- is the meat really better and healthier there? Possibly. They have also banned the use of rBST hormones in cattle and use very limited amounts of antibiotics (unlike the U.S.). Their cows are grass fed instead of corn fed like Americans, er, American cows, which make them naturally lower in fat but somehow more flavorful. Grass-fed beef is also less likely to be contaminated! The cows hang out in picturesque pastures like this happy fella...


(image source: www.wikipedia.org)

So, will it be tastier?
I'll report back in April!