Packers Saving the World!!!

[Maple Leaf Angus]

I've bought beef in grocery stores before and often wondered how we ever sell any, if it tastes like that. Sure doesn't taste like the beef we raise and butcher for home use.

Same here Jinglebob. We ran out of hamburger one time before we got our next beef butchered so my wife bought some at the store.

When she fried up hamburgers for our meal using that stuff she bought, it smelled something awful. Could hardly choke it down.

But you know the hazards of making negative comments about the cook's work, so what's a man to do?

 

[mrj]

Do any of you who are touting the "healthy alternative to commercially produced, factory farmed meat and poultry products" have results of testing of those "healthy alternative" products showing or proving that the food is any more "healthy" than meat from commercially raised meat or poultry?

Unless and until tests show there is a verifiable difference in the nutrient and residue content, why should anyone be able to claim such is the case?

It is fine if people choose to buy those products simply on the basis that they do not want to eat meat grown in the conventional manner and are willing to pay more to do so.

It is quite something else to lead people to believe that there are significant health benefits to be gained, or that their is a significant difference between the two products, UNLESS THERE IS PROOF via unbiased test results, IMO.

MRJ

MRJ - And do YOU eat any old ground beef or sausage? I don't actually have serious issues with commercially raised beef, chicken, etc. However, I want to know what is in my hamburger and sausage. You all raise your own beef and I'll bet any amount that you would NOT want to eat aged dairy cattle ground up or a mixture of who knows what beef from who knows which country -- or possible even water buffalo.

[Don't you see that the "system" we have works quite well? If it didn't, you wouldn't know that there had been some truly "foreign" meat caught coming into our country. I realize it is possible that such things MIGHT happen. Either of us MIGHT be struck by lightning, too. Seems to me I've read that is many times more likely than the possiblity of contracting vCJD from eating beef, if that truly is possible.

Yes, I do. on rare occasions eat a "fast food" hamburger, but am not going to spend much time worrying about it. The stress of worrying about it just might kill us faster than any problem with the meat!]

MRJ

 

[Jinglebob]

Do any of you who are touting the "healthy alternative to commercially produced, factory farmed meat and poultry products" have results of testing of those "healthy alternative" products showing or proving that the food is any more "healthy" than meat from commercially raised meat or poultry?

Unless and until tests show there is a verifiable difference in the nutrient and residue content, why should anyone be able to claim such is the case?

It is fine if people choose to buy those products simply on the basis that they do not want to eat meat grown in the conventional manner and are willing to pay more to do so.

It is quite something else to lead people to believe that there are significant health benefits to be gained, or that their is a significant difference between the two products, UNLESS THERE IS PROOF via unbiased test results, IMO.

MRJ

How would what these people are doing by touting the benifits of their program any different than a ranch group touting how much they have improved the life and money paid to ranchers?

"[JB, where have you heard or read the "ranch group" to whom you refer state that they "have improved the lives of ranchers"? Give us a break! Now, the fact that due to beef checkoff programs improving beef demand, the amount of money going into cattle producer pockets has increased is measureable. You may choose not to believe that fact, but you so choosing does nothing to make it untrue. MRJ]"



MRJ, could you please post such figures as to improved sales and prices. I will take them to my banker and get a big loan to buy cows and I am sure he will make it after seeing your "proof". And who said I was talking about "your" orginization?

It's all about like selling mineral. They claim that it will help your cattle, but I've never seen any hard and fast proof.

If the consumer wants to buy something that they think is more healthful, than sell it to them. Instead of putting down someone elses practices, maybe we should look at some of our own.

"[Aren't there laws against misleading consumers with false information? I'm not putting down their practices, I simply want them to obey the law. Do the research and prove and verify their claims, or they can't make them, is all I ask. MRJ]"

If there are laws in place, they don't seem to stop very many. You say they can't prove it, I say, you prove they are wrong. If I sell someone a beef that was killed on grass and butchered locally and we all get to watch the process and we all know that the critter had nothing but the finest grass and forages to eat since it was born, wouldn't you think it might be better than some critter that was sold as a calf and again as a yearling and stood in mud in a lot getting all kinds of precautionary shots so it wouldn't get sick, then was hauled to a packing plant 30 to 80 miles away with 50 more just like it and poked and prodded onto the kill floor and then butchered? Are you familiar with the Argentina method of forage fattening where the beef is so tender that you can cut it with a fork?
I'm sure every part of the proccess has competent people who are doing a good job, but when you are being paid to do a job for someone else, SOMETIMES people tend to take a smaller intrest in how good of a job is done as someone who does fewer head at a time and may lose their business if they don't do a good job. The product MIGHT be better when it's done one at a time than when it's done as an assembly line proccess. When I sell someone a beef, they can come to me and tell me it's good or not and they will. If you buy a bad cut of beef in the store, who is to blame? Accountability.
As for benificial claims, seems like there are lots of business's who make all kinds of claims without any proof. One would have to prove the claims were false in order to stop them.




I've bought beef in grocery stores before and often wondered how we ever sell any, if it tastes like that. Sure doesn't taste like the beef we raise and butcher for home use.

[We often hear that sad tale, so I have purchased the lowest priced beef I can find in Rapid City and Pierre. When I cook it properly for the type of cut and quality, we have always had a good meal of it. MRJ]


Any grocery store beef we have bought has been cooked properly and it still didn't have the tenderness and taste of our home grown beef. Didn't matter what cut it was. I have had steak that came from a grocery store in Iowa that was cut at the store and it was excellent. It also was fat. I have never eaten any "lean" beef that was very good. We are eating on a 2 year old bull who was killed before I could fatten him. We had him made into hamburger. The meat tastes good, but it isn't as good as the hamburger off from a fat critter. This bull had a bad attitude and so couldn't be penned and fattened. I couldn't wait for him to get fat on grass.




I sold some beef this year and made a gaurentee that if they didn't like it, I would take it back. Now if I can just find some more like it to sell the others who have heard about it and want some. :lol:

[People from other places without access to home raised beef have that sort of reaction to our beef, too. We wonder if it may be because it is grass fed, rather than grain fed. MRJ]





I think the grass/grain fattening makes some difference, but also the age of the butchered beef too. We like to butcher critters that are at least 2 years old. Dry cows and steers. I don't care for "baby" beef. Some of the best we've ever had was from a 3 year old dry cow. 4or 5 year old FAT corrientie roping steers are excellent.

 

[Border rancher]

Hi Porker, Have you ever noticed when visiting with your friends and neighbours that often those that atlk the most often SAY the least?

 

[mrj]

MRJ - And do YOU eat any old ground beef or sausage? I don't actually have serious issues with commercially raised beef, chicken, etc. However, I want to know what is in my hamburger and sausage. You all raise your own beef and I'll bet any amount that you would NOT want to eat aged dairy cattle ground up or a mixture of who knows what beef from who knows which country -- or possible even water buffalo.

[Don't you see that the "system" we have works quite well? If it didn't, you wouldn't know that there had been some truly "foreign" meat caught coming into our country. I realize it is possible that such things MIGHT happen. Either of us MIGHT be struck by lightning, too. Seems to me I've read that is many times more likely than the possiblity of contracting vCJD from eating beef, if that truly is possible.

Yes, I do. on rare occasions eat a "fast food" hamburger, but am not going to spend much time worrying about it. The stress of worrying about it just might kill us faster than any problem with the meat!]

MRJ

What a silly answer. Haven't you read about what goes into hamburgers that you don't grind yourself? I was not even addressing any fear about vCJD, just addressing the low quality of some hamburger. Not to mention the tastelessness as was mentioned above.

Reader, talk about silly!!!! You surely are a case of the pot calling the kettle black!

Do you honestly believe all the innuendo and outright fabrications put out about hamburger?

Do you believe McDonalds or any other large business is NOT trying their best to keep their beef wholesome and safe for the consumer and succeeding very well at it when considering the sheer volume of burger sold by them with the incidences of validated food borne illness?

In my opinion the fact that flavor may be lacking has far more to do with smashing the beef into those flat little patties and then not browning them better, but that is a matter of personal preference.

No reasonable person expects a fast food burger to taste the same as a fancy burger costing ten dollars and up in a nice restaurant!

MRJ

 

[PORKER]

Yes ,I have noticed it.Kinda talk in circles like ( did You say)ah gee By GUM.By the way ,where do you market your cattle?Local or do you ship em North? Also, the Question of how much data do you keep on Brood Cows ?

 

[mrj]

How would what these people are doing by touting the benifits of their program any different than a ranch group touting how much they have improved the life and money paid to ranchers?

"[JB, where have you heard or read the "ranch group" to whom you refer state that they "have improved the lives of ranchers"? Give us a break! Now, the fact that due to beef checkoff programs improving beef demand, the amount of money going into cattle producer pockets has increased is measureable. You may choose not to believe that fact, but you so choosing does nothing to make it untrue. MRJ]"



MRJ, could you please post such figures as to improved sales and prices. I will take them to my banker and get a big loan to buy cows and I am sure he will make it after seeing your "proof". And who said I was talking about "your" orginization?

["And who said I was talking about "your" organization", you asked? Oh, I don't know, maybe I just assumed because when some from "your" organization make comments like you did, it is NCBA they are referring to. MRJ]

[I referenced the studies (and there are accurate studies out there!) that show the Beef Checkoff efforts have returned $5.00 to $7.00 to producers for each $1.00 invested. If you are interested in the details, you can go to www.beef.org and inquire about it, I'm sure. There are any number of experts who can show you how the current high markets are due in large part to the increase in demand for beef. Remember, demand is the equation of product sold and price it sells for, not simply amount sold. Various Beef Checkoff programs are largely responsible for that increase in demand. That some people choose not to believe it, fortunately, has not changed the facts. MRJ]

It's all about like selling mineral. They claim that it will help your cattle, but I've never seen any hard and fast proof.

If the consumer wants to buy something that they think is more healthful, than sell it to them. Instead of putting down someone elses practices, maybe we should look at some of our own.

"[Aren't there laws against misleading consumers with false information? I'm not putting down their practices, I simply want them to obey the law. Do the research and prove and verify their claims, or they can't make them, is all I ask. MRJ]"

If there are laws in place, they don't seem to stop very many. You say they can't prove it, I say, you prove they are wrong. If I sell someone a beef that was killed on grass and butchered locally and we all get to watch the process and we all know that the critter had nothing but the finest grass and forages to eat since it was born, wouldn't you think it might be better than

some critter that was sold as a calf and again as a yearling and stood in mud in a lot getting all kinds of precautionary shots so it wouldn't get sick, then was hauled to a packing plant 30 to 80 miles away with 50 more just like it and poked and prodded onto the kill floor and then butchered?

[Are you very certain that this is really how the majority of beef is treated and processed? Beef is not allowed to have any residues of ANYTHING in it, unless you call the addition of tenderizers and flavors additives, so I question the accuracy of your description. MRJ]

Are you familiar with the Argentina method of forage fattening where the beef is so tender that you can cut it with a fork?

[Except for hearing how highly accepted some of it has been when imported to the USA, and the very high prices it sells for, I'm not very familiar with the process, but do understand the concept. MRJ]


I'm sure every part of the proccess has competent people who are doing a good job, but when you are being paid to do a job for someone else, SOMETIMES people tend to take a smaller intrest in how good of a job is done as someone who does fewer head at a time and may lose their business if they don't do a good job. The product MIGHT be better when it's done one at a time than when it's done as an assembly line proccess. When I sell someone a beef, they can come to me and tell me it's good or not and they will. If you buy a bad cut of beef in the store, who is to blame? Accountability.

[How many cattle producers are doing all of this, from breeding to birthing, to raising the calf, fattening it by whatever method, then actually slaughtering and processing and selling the beef with no hired help, since you say people hired do not do as good a job as the owner? How are we going to produce enough beef in that wonderful system to serve the needs of all who want beef? MRJ]


As for benificial claims, seems like there are lots of business's who make all kinds of claims without any proof. One would have to prove the claims were false in order to stop them.

[Government has a not-so-funny way of eventually catching up with a lot of charlatans who cheat people with false claims or labels. They do pay a price for such deception when caught. MRJ]




I've bought beef in grocery stores before and often wondered how we ever sell any, if it tastes like that. Sure doesn't taste like the beef we raise and butcher for home use.

[We often hear that sad tale, so I have purchased the lowest priced beef I can find in Rapid City and Pierre. When I cook it properly for the type of cut and quality, we have always had a good meal of it. MRJ]


Any grocery store beef we have bought has been cooked properly and it still didn't have the tenderness and taste of our home grown beef. Didn't matter what cut it was. I have had steak that came from a grocery store in Iowa that was cut at the store and it was excellent. It also was fat. I have never eaten any "lean" beef that was very good. We are eating on a 2 year old bull who was killed before I could fatten him. We had him made into hamburger. The meat tastes good, but it isn't as good as the hamburger off from a fat critter. This bull had a bad attitude and so couldn't be penned and fattened. I couldn't wait for him to get fat on grass.




I sold some beef this year and made a gaurentee that if they didn't like it, I would take it back. Now if I can just find some more like it to sell the others who have heard about it and want some. :lol:

[People from other places without access to home raised beef have that sort of reaction to our beef, too. We wonder if it may be because it is grass fed, rather than grain fed. MRJ]





I think the grass/grain fattening makes some difference, but also the age of the butchered beef too. We like to butcher critters that are at least 2 years old. Dry cows and steers. I don't care for "baby" beef. Some of the best we've ever had was from a 3 year old dry cow. 4or 5 year old FAT corrientie roping steers are excellent.

[Sounds like what we do for our beef, more or less. We have tried buying a a real corn-fed beef, purchased from a good rancher. It was pretty disappointing experience which hasn't been repeated. Maybe we should and will give it another try someday. MRJ]

MRJ