New report from Soil Association

[alan refail]

"Feeding the animals that feed us"

http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClic ... tabid=1183

Looks interesting, though I admit I haven't read it yet.

[Nature's Babe]

Have been reading this Alan, them saying that grass fed cattle produce better quality meat, and it reminded me of the grasses in the film
A farm for the future, enabling the cattle stay on pasture through the winter.
http://www.viddler.com/explore/PermaScience/videos/4/

[alan refail]

Yet another plug for our wonderful Gwartheg Duon Cymreig.

They stay out all year round and feed only on grass, some of poor quality, and produce the best beef there is (though supporters of other hardy traditional breeds would disagree).

[Nature's Babe]

I should remedy that Alan, I have never been to wales, they do look hardy cattle, your grasses must be hardy too, a good mix of wild grasses. Now why don't our farmers use their common sense and develop hardy grasses, the commercial grasses have only 4 differenat grass varieties, and are easily churned up by cattle in winter . Using the wild grasses makes it thicker deeper, a bit like the harris tweed of grass.

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
From what I have read so far is really not typical of farming as I know it.
Their favourite trick is show you Beef Cattle and give the statistics of Milking Cattle which are treated very differently. I do not know a farmer in this area producing Beef, and that is damn near every one of them, that houses his animals over winter they are always out all year round.
Many are born in the same field that they leave before going to slaughter.
They live their entire lives on grass.
They are not fed the supplements, but Dairy Cattle are fed with many supplements including Organic Dairy Cattle.
JB.