Good Grass

I know you can see it coming but I have to do it anyway. In MY DAY...talk about grass quality never involved a cow and often involved a glad bag and a boy in Mokena with a Blue Chevy Van. The amount of time we were "on grass" was debatable as no records were kept and the Will County Police Department was anything but computerized. Thanking God for big favors on that one.

So, irony as it is, here I am decades later trying to decide which grass regulation agency is best and does it mater ? Maybe. Probably. Depends.

Earlier today our organic certifier, MOSA, notified us that all our paperwork from last falls organic inspection had been approved as well as our USDA Grass Fed Certification. 2011 was the first year that producers like us could opt to be inspected on both the USDA Organic Standards and USDA Grass Fed Standards at the same time.

It made fantastic sense. Our government using ONE inspector to survey two sets of USDA standards. The whole process went very well and the info we had to submit for the Grass Fed Certification was minimal. Imagine, our government working hard to condense paperwork and costs of such. I was and still am, impressed.

But, of course, I am not satisfied. What did "USDA Grass Fed Certified" really mean ? And what about the American Grassfed Association ? They certify producers as well. I've seen both labels on beef packages in the store. Were the standards the same.?

They are not, although they do have a similar starting place. To date, it is VOLUNTARY to be certified as a Grass Fed  Beef Producer. This means there is no law to prevent you from calling your beef Grass Fed even if Miss Udder Delight is fed corn morning, noon and night,  This differs widely from the National Organic standards which make it ILLEGAL ( and punishable by fines) if you label your product as Organic when it has not been certified as such. Hmmmm. Wonder if my computer skills are such that I might insert a table into my blog?

Grass Fed Standard Comparisons

	USDA Grass Fed	American Grass Fed Association	National Organic Standards
Certification Requirements	Voluntary. Anyone can label their beef :Grass Fed”	Voluntary  Anyone can label their beef “Grass Fed”	Illegal to use “Organic” label unless you are certified*
Amount of time on grass	Access to grass and pasture during entire life. May be confined when growing season is over.	Lifetime Forage. No confinement at any time.	120 days per year must be on pasture
Nutrient Source	Majority to come from grass	All nutrients to come from forage or pasture	All feed must be certified organic
Anitibiotic Use	Allowed	Prohibited	Prohibited unless animals life in danger. After use animal must be removed from the farms organic herd
Hormone Use	Allowed	Prohibited	Prohibited
Pesticides	Allowed	Prohibited	Prohibited
Inspection or Audit Fee	None. Certification based on documentation only.	$250	Varies , Ave is $1000

Well, well, well, will wonders ever crease? Earlier today I finally learned how to substitute a single word for a whole stupid long link . For example, to read more about the American Grass Fed Standards you can go here. Cool huh?

And yet, can't seem to get the font back to original size, Criminy. Note to self. No more beer before blogging no matter how hot you get mowing.

Final thoughts (don't you wish) Seems the USDA standards for Grass Fed might look nice on your Porterhouse Steak but don't mean all that much. Your steak could still be filled with antibiotics. The Certified Organic Label is better but animals can still be confined large parts of the year. The AGF label seems to mean more, especially when COMBINED with the Organic label.

Bottom line. Labels are cute, can be meaningful,  but nothing beats a visit to the farm where your meat is raised.

         "Person-to-Person Certification" is always best