On this website, we offer a lot of good information about the differences between industrial grain-fed beef and our grass-fed, pasture-finished beef at Acabonac Farms.
We like to keep it simple and straightforward. As is always the case, truth wins out.
We provide this kind of information so that our customers become better informed and feel empowered to make the smart decisions when buying their beef - decisions that reflect what they want to see from their food in terms of nutrition and environmental sustainability.
You will make better buying decisions if you know the truth about where your beef comes from, rather than guessing from often misleading information on food labels.
Here are some examples of what we mean. These are fact-based, big differences between industrial farms, where cattle are fed grain, and a grass-fed farm like ours.
Industrial farms: Cattle raised in feedlots, crammed into pens that restrict the ability to walk and move around
Acabonac Farms: Cattle roam freely over thousands of square feet in large pastures
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Industrial farm: Give cattle growth-promoting hormones and antibiotics
Acabonac Farms: Never uses growth-promoting steroids or antibiotics, also does not use chemicals on the farm such as weed killer
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Industrial farms: Have become known as producers of high levels of carbon
Acabonac Farms: Rotational grazing practices sequester carbon in the soil, leading to fewer greenhouse gasses
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Industrial farms: Calves separated from their mothers in as little as five months
Acabonac Farms: Calves left with their mother for almost a year
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Industrial farms: Short lifespans as cattle are given grain and growth-promoting hormones
Acabonac Farms: Long lifespans as cattle eat natural foliage and roam large pastures
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Industrial farms: High in omega-6 fats
Acabonac Farms: High in anti-inflammatory omega-3, as well as Vitamin A and Vitamin E
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Industrial farms: Cattle fed a high-grain diet that nature never intended them to eat, leading to health problems
Acabonac Farms: Cattle eat what they were born to eat, leading to a healthy gut
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Industrial farms: Most are run by one of four giant food conglomerates
Acabonac Farms: Run by a local Long Island farmer serving his community
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Industrial farms: Grain-fed beef makes up about 97% of all beef sales in the U.S., according to study from Colorado State University
Acabonac Farms: Grass-fed beef makes up only 3% of all beef sales in the U.S.
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Industrial farms: Created in the last century to support mass beef production
Acabonac Farms: Practices grazing methods created thousands of years ago by nature
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I hope these important difference help everyone to understand why we do things the way we do at Acabonac Farms. Our goal is to support sustainable and regenerative farming while producing the most nutrient-dense, tasteful beef possible.