What is your opinion of the beef industry?

[carrrnuttt]

Most of you don't know that my family & I farm as well as run a sizeable beef cattle operation in central KS. This has been the main endeavor of my family for four generations now & we, like every private business, constantly look for opportunities to produce a higher quality product in a more efficient manner than we did in the past. However, it seems a lot of the articles I see anymore paint a dark picture of the beef industry as they try to push people towards a more mediterranean diet heavily weighted with fruits & grains. I recently read an excerpt from an op-ed piece printed in a university paper that stated "the human consumption of meat is ruining our bodies, our planet, and our atmosphere while subjecting billions of animals to unnecessary cruelty." Now, I would expect this type of rhetoric from any of the left-coast institutions of liberal learning.....but this came from a poli-sci senior at my alma mater, kansas state university. KSU is a land grant college centered around agriculture (and hopefully a winning football program again soon, but I digress). Her op-ed got me thinking about how most of you are at least three or more generations removed from your agricultural ancestry & probably are either uninformed or sorely misinformed of this industry.

With that in mind, I'd like to know what your overall opinion is of the beef industry. It interests me to know how our business is viewed by the consumers we serve & this is the widest forum I'm part of in terms of socio-economic diversity. Don't airbrush your opinion; I'd like to know.

TBGT

Thinking twice about it, this forum is probably the wrong place to ask. I'd think a forum full of people who appreciate American muscle and think of cars in terms of "how much WHP?" as opposed to "how much MPG?" would be more than populated with red-blooded meat-eaters.

Try the same question in a Prius forum, and report back the results. :lol1:

 

[pho_phizzat]

Thinking twice about it, this forum is probably the wrong place to ask. I'd think a forum full of people who appreciate American muscle and think of cars in terms of "how much WHP?" as opposed to "how much MPG?" would be more than populated with red-blooded meat-eaters.

Try the same question in a Prius forum, and report back the results. :lol1:

good point

 

[meaty mac]

I'm sure you know what my answer will be lol

 

[Niks97cobra]

Mmmmm...steak....

Don't listen to the vegimites...their minds are weak from lack of proper beef intake! Just live by this motto and it will thwart their efforts: For every animal you don't eat, I'm going to eat three. :beer:

Now I'm starving. Thanks. I eat everything personally and there is nothing better than steak.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I think meat is good for you in moderate amounts. I think the "meat" a lot of people eat from mcdonalds or whatever is bad for you. I think too much red meat can be bad for you, but I mean A LOT.

Other than that, I love the shit. Could never stop eating it, nor do I think its destroying the enviorment or whatever.

 

[BayouFX4]

I love the beef industry. Steaks and burgers are some of my favorite foods.

 

[carrrnuttt]

I eat everything personally...

As opposed to by proxy? :dw:

 

[ssj4sadie]

+1 I love all meat. I don't discriminate!

:dw: open door much?

 

[lokslikasolstic]

I'm sure you know what my answer will be lol

You're a vegetarian.

 

[BuckChoklit]

I'd like to know your take on the grass-fed vs. corn-fed debate. From (what little) research I have done, it seems that the corn-fed beef contains more fat due to the cows being constricted to a single feeding pen and growing un-naturally fast; while the grass-fed beef is more lean due to them being able to roam the fields and grow in a natural way.

 

[LSUstang05]

The only complaint I have about the beef industry is that steak is a little expensive on a college budget! Other than that, I love beef...hamburgers and steaks are easily some of my favorite foods.

 

[thomas91169]

gimme some nice fatty piece of prime rib. I dont want no *** ass "Mediterranean" diet. Only time Caesar Salad is acceptable is when its an appetizer for a big ass steak.

meat industry ftw.

 

[txyaloo]

gimme some nice fatty piece of prime rib. I dont want no *** ass "Mediterranean" diet. Only time Caesar Salad is acceptable is when its an appetizer for a big ass steak.

meat industry ftw.

+65,000. It's a shame most of the fat is pre-trimmed from steaks at super markets these days.

 

[L8APEX]

Cows, what they lack in intelligence, they make up for in flavor.
I agree on not trimming the fat, that's just removing flavor. I love a steak with good marbling.

 

[Spitfire_GT]

I think I fit your profile. I am 3 generations from any agricultural endeavor in the family. I actually quit eating beef and pork when I was newly enlisted in the Navy but not for any other reason than my general assumption that it was healthier.

I started eating all meat again 7 years ago and don't foresee myself ever self-imposing restrictions on my intake. I like a nice ribeye every other week or so, and I use lean ground beef for burgers and tacos etc.

I would say I have a positive view of American Beef. I think we have good land and good companies in the business. Although I have no first hand knowledge of either- my ignorant opinion is that the chicken industry is much worse and the one I truly worry about. Again, I have no knowledge of either industry just my perceptions.

Ranch on brother, and thanks for providing good beef for us. :beer:

PS Why the hell is KOBE some kind of premium good brand of beef? I mean Japan has no land, too many people. How in the hell did it become fashionable to eat japanese beef?

 

[swoosh_stang]

As my niece once said:

"I love cows, they're made of steak."

Pretty much sums it up for me.

 

[meaty mac]

You're a vegetarian.

:lol:

My old French teacher once called me a "****ing legume"

Does that count?

 

[LSUstang05]

PS Why the hell is KOBE some kind of premium good brand of beef? I mean Japan has no land, too many people. How in the hell did it become fashionable to eat japanese beef?

KOBE Beef is from cattle that basically doesn't ever move. That way the cow doesn't develop any tough muscle to chew through. I think it's more hype than the actual reason behind it though.

 

[carrrnuttt]

PS Why the hell is KOBE some kind of premium good brand of beef? I mean Japan has no land, too many people. How in the hell did it become fashionable to eat japanese beef?

Kobe Beef FAQ

 

[TrueBlueGT]

Two points to quickly address:
1. The point that all beef should grade choice or above. --- To throw around some economic terms, the US has an absolute advantage over the world in beef production of basically every grade. However, we import a vast majority of the lower quality beef because our resources are best channeled towards producing the highest cuts possible. This allows other countries to have a competitive advantage in lesser quality beef cuts (i.e. dollar menu burgers...i know, i love them too) and it makes good economic sense to focus on what is the best and allow the others to import lower grades for the aforementioned uses.

2. Grass fed v. ration fed: Grass fed cattle will have a leaner body structure than cattle offered a pre-calculated ration of roughage, protein, & energy (grains or grain byproducts). However, marbling (the fat in between the muscle tissue) is where an immense amount of flavor comes from & solely grass fed cattle often lack a bit of flavor due to their inherent body condition. Also, the simple truth is that my industry absolutely could not keep up with the quantity demanded for quality beef without the per day gain efficiency a ration offers. Given that in economic theorem quantity demanded is the only direct manipulator of price, if only strictly grass fed beef was available to you as the consumer it would cost three to four times the current market price as well as be a less flavorful product.

Yes, confinement feeding facilities stink like hell but so do oil wells. We all like to drive though so you take the good with the bad.