By MARIAN BURROS
Published: July 26, 2006
THE Agriculture Department has proposed allowing animals to be labeled grass-fed even if they never saw a pasture and were fed antibiotics and hormones.

When Martin E. O’Connor, chief of the standardization branch of the department’s livestock and feed program, explained the proposed rule at a conference of the American Grassfed Association in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Friday, members were angry.

Producers of grass-fed animals have waited for years for the department to develop certification standards and procedures, like the organic certification and seal, to distinguish grass-fed animals from conventionally raised animals. When department officials asked for input four years ago, association members replied that the rule should require that an animal be fed on pastures except in emergency circumstances where its life would be threatened, and also that the animal should be free from antibiotics and hormones.

The American Grass Fed Conference in Colorado Springs in July was well attended by the media.  The following article was published in the Denver Post after the conference.  It includes my comments concerning grass fed beef.

Ranchers of grass-fed beef talk up its virtues

By Ellen Sweets
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com

Colorado Springs - "Fast Food Nation" author Eric Schlosser, in examining how to restore the disconnect between farm and table, wasted no time getting to the point as he spoke to the third annual American Grassfed Association conference held here last weekend.

"It should come as no surprise that American beef can't be sold in Japan, Korea and the European Union," he said. "A recent report showed that 75 percent of Japanese consumers didn't want to eat American beef because the USDA has succeeded in giving American meat a bad name. This room is the solution."

There is a new food consciousness in America that can be witnessed at the grass roots level of sustainable food producers (grass fed beef included here), a more savvy, enlightened consumer, food industry professionals (chefs) and yes, even corporations.  As sustainability issues and products have become more mainstream we see family farms swimming upstream to connect directly with their customers and Wal-Mart launching a multi-million dollar campaign to capture their share of this target (sustainable) market.

At our recent American GrassFed Association conference our goal was to build a bridge between the farm and the consumer.  Grazing America 2006 was tagged “The Education and Celebration of Real Farm Food”.  It was wonderful to see groups such as Slow Food, Chefs Collaborative, RAFT, professional chefs, restaurant owners and representatives of several major corporate retailers talking and forming relationships with farmers, researchers and animal husbandry professionals. 

Jesse Cool represents part of this movement in her commitment to sustainable products and she attended our conference in Colorado Springs to learn first hand what grass fed beef was all about.  In this recent article from Sustainable Food News you can gain insight as to where these folks see the food industry moving.

Swiss Steak

¾ teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1/3 cup flour
2 pound grassfed round steak or cube steak
2 tablespoons grape seed oil or similar flavorless oil
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
2 cups or one large can of whole tomatoes

GRASS FED ACTION ALERT

USDA Regulation Can Potentially Destroy Grass Farming

     The USDA has published for comment grassfed standards to define what the term Grass Fed means.  This claim defines grassfed to mean animals who receive 99% of their lifetime energy supply from grass and forage.  However, it falls short of defining where this forage diet can be fed.  To most consumers the term Grassfed means cattle humanely raised in grass pastures from birth to harvest, the way nature intended.   The USDA proposal would allow animals to be kept in confinement, fed harvested forage, corn silage and other grains that have not been separated from their stalks.  If this proposed claim passes into regulation you could see feedlot beef fed antibiotics, hormones and legally be labeled Grassfed Beef.

     We feel so strongly about this we are asking for your help in responding to the USDA.  We are quite sure you don't want Grass Fed cattle standing in confinement for 160 to 220 days, without shade, eating corn silage and being fed antibiotics and growth hormones.  We ask you to please take the time to insure the term Grass Fed Beef means range or pasture raised not Factory Farmed, confinement raised. 

American Grassfed Association                                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.americangrassfed.org
1648 Gaylord Street
Denver, Colorado 80206
Phone: 877-774-7277
Email:  aga@americangrassfed.org
PRESS RELEASE

USDA TO MEET FACE TO FACE WITH PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS
AT
GRAZING AMERICA 2006

Martin E. O’Connor Chief, Standardization Branch, Livestock and Seed Program, Agricultural Marketing Service of the USDA will make a presentation Friday, July 21 at Grazing America.  This three-day event sponsored by the American Grassfed Association will be held at the Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking comments on a proposed minimum standard for grass fed marketing claims.  This standard once adopted will become the U.S. Standard for Grass Fed claims.  In an effort to promote comparative differences in their products livestock and meat producers are using production and/or processing claims to distinguish their products in the marketplace.  USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, through its voluntary certification and audit programs, verifies the accuracy of theses claims.  The proposed standard will establish the minimum requirement for producers who want to use a grass fed label.  Voluntary meat marketing claims are developed, modified, and interpreted through the Standardization Branch of the USDA of which Mr. O’Connor is the head.