I Ate Grain-Fed Beef for the First Time in Years. Here's What Happened.

I'm back from a short, kind of unscheduled break. I know you missed me….

Nothing to worry about. The beef train will keep-a-rolling.

Me and the girls just got away for a quick vacation, before spring shows up and we get so busy that everyone on the farm loses track of time and space for a couple months. And somewhere in the middle of that trip, I committed grass-fed treason: I ate a corn-fed ribeye. Which turns out to be a very good way to learn (or re-learn) what grass fed vs grain fed beef taste actually feels like in your mouth.

The vacation that forced me to actually relax

Like a good little farmer/friendly neighborhood beef salesman, I told myself I'd squeeze in my regular newsletters. After all, I would have a couple built in windows during Juniper's naptime and after she goes to bed.

Well, it was a nice thought.

But it turns out, your keyboard sounds REALLY loud in the room with a sleeping toddler.

I also forgot that hotel doors sound roughly like you are dramatically closing a medieval castle's outer gate to hold off a siege, so leaving the room was out.

Which left me forced to….relax.

A concept that does not come easily at this point in my life.

Small businesses are pretty 24/7, farms are definitely 24/7, and of course I have a phone in my pocket filled with apps designed to make me feel like the sky is falling 24/7.

So chilling out takes a little while.

Longer frankly than our vacation budget or scheduling window were going to allow this time.

But even a somewhat truncated time away helps with the whole "stress relief" thing.

Coming home with fresh eyes (and the smell of cow poop)

And there's something great about coming back to the farm with a fresher set of eyes.

The fluffy cows peeking at your car over the fence.

The endless list of projects that suddenly feel just a teeny bit more approachable.

The sweet, sweet smell of baleage and cow poop in the (almost) spring air.

I love it. Yes, I know I'm weird. No, I won't stop bringing it up.

And of course, the perspective shift that typically comes from being separated from something (even for a shortish time).

Realizing how lucky we are to do what we do.

Working with amazing customers who truly appreciate and value our work.

Our new customer service manager, Nicole, has been reaching out to check in on customers and I was really blown away to see the kind messages people sent her while I was gone.

Building a business that's truly fun for us and our employees.

Oh and raising beef that just rocks….

What grass fed vs grain fed beef taste actually feels like (after a 3-day binge)

Seriously, vacation & restaurant life is fun for a couple days. The hotel had an amazing restaurant, and who doesn't love an all you can eat breakfast buffet?

The stress relief definitely outweighs relaxing our pretty tightly wound crunchy/organic dietary standards.

But there's nothing like a few days chowing down on some very tasty hotel restaurant beef (that definitely spent a little time on a feedlot) to remind me of something our customers tell us almost every day….

OUR BEEF IS BETTER!!!

Yes, I ate the undoubtedly corn fed ribeye at the hotel, and I'd do it again! WHAT OF IT!

So it's nice to get home to our usual routine and our typical diet, which is extremely heavy on home cooked meals made with our own 100% Grass-Fed Beef.

If you've ever wondered why our customers say things like it's as if they'd never actually tasted meat before, this is what they're talking about. The grass fed vs grain fed beef taste difference isn't subtle when you've been eating one and switch to the other. It's not a wine-snob distinction. It's a "oh, that's what beef is supposed to be" distinction.

Why feedlot beef tastes the way it does

Plus, 3 days is just TOO LONG to go without Primal Blend. So I'm jonesing for some nutrient-dense beef liver!

Industrial beef is built around speed: get the animal to weight as fast as possible, on corn, in a feedlot, and ship it. The animal lives a different life. Eats a different diet. Finishes on a different timeline. The result tastes different on the plate, and it's not because hotel chefs can't cook (the ribeye was very tasty in its way). It's the meat itself.

If you want the long version of why grocery and restaurant beef has gotten worse over the years, we wrote about why grocery store beef is watery (and who's profiting from it).

Getting back on the good stuff

If you're looking to get back on track or just running low on your freezer stash, you can place an order for shipping next week (smaller bundles, ground beef, etc.).

Or if you want to skip the grain-fed stuff for good, our most popular option is a Half Beef Share with a free chest freezer (the waitlist is getting longer by the day).

Your Farmer,
Josh

PS: Seriously, huge thanks to everyone who's been sharing their feedback with Nicole. Hearing the good stuff makes our day, and it's our pleasure to help solve any problems that come up. If you ever need anything you can reach her at support@dirtydogfarm.com.