The Benefits Of Pasture Raised Farm Foods

In today’s food industry, there is a huge emphasis on knowing where our food comes from and how it is raised or grown. Sustainable, ethical and ecologically sound farming is perhaps more important to us now than ever before, and we will pay a premium for goods that we know meet these standards.

Perhaps the best way to achieve an ethical and sustainable diet, without giving up meat, is by only buying pasture raised meat and dairy products.

When you shop somewhere such as the farm store from Seven Sons, you will find an amazing range of pasture raised foods. Curious about what pasture raised products means exactly? Read on below to discover some of the benefits that come from buying pasture raised farm foods.

More Nutrition In Your Food

Animals that have been raised on pasture will see the benefit of a grass-based diet. As a result, so will the meat, eggs and milk that they produce, passing those benefits onto you. Pasture raised meat is known to be high in omega 3 fatty acids, vital for preserving the health of your heart, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E and Vitamin C.

One particularly beneficial omega 3 fatty acid, which is known to be present in pasture raised meat, is alpha-lineolic acid (ALA). ALA comprises around 60 percent of the fatty acids present in grass and is thought to be important in helping fight cancer. Conversely, animals raised on a largely grain-based diet of GMO farm feed will lose these fatty acids and their benefits.

Lower in Calories

Pasture raised meat is high in essential fats, the kind of fats that are good for you. But it is also lower in total fat levels compared to meat from animals on standard farm feed. This means pasture raised is lower in calories and a healthier part of your diet.

Healthier And Happier Animals

Pasture raised animals have a far better quality of life than animals in huge, industrial-scale barns and factory farms. They have a better diet, more freedom to roam and are visibly happier as a result.

They are also healthier. Animals living in close quarters such as those in factory farms are far more likely to spread harmful diseases, such as staph infections and e-coli among themselves. As they live and roam more freely, pasture raised animals are safer and less likely to threaten your quality of life.

Better For The Environment

In pasture raised farming, the animals feed themselves off the land and fertilize it themselves. Okay, so maybe the farmer helps out too. But overall the process is far better for the environment, with much less fossil fuel consumption and less pollution. This is due to less reliance on industrially produced food and fertilizer.

Pasture raised farming can also battle the greenhouse gas emissions that are so commonly associated with farming (and with cows in particular!). With pasture raised farming, more carbon dioxide can be bound up in the soil, resulting in lower emissions.

Better For Farms And For Farmers

Not having to think so much about food and fertilization lowers costs for farmers. It means they don’t have to invest so much in feed and fertilizer. Also, they don’t have to spend so much on farm machinery that can both expensive and dangerous.

Not having to make these huge investments can be so important to farmers as they look to avoid the always lingering danger of amassing debt. Pasture raised farming can, as a result, boost the prospects of smaller farms as they come under increasing threat from the large-scale farming industry.