Grass-Fed Traditions Introduces 100% Grass-Fed Galloway Beef

18/12/06 Grass-Fed Traditions was launched this week as a division of Tropical Traditions, Inc. They introduced their new product line of 100% grass-fed Galloway beef from their Fall 2006 processing. Their grass-fed beef products join their offerings of grass-fed bison, pastured poultry raised on Cocofeed, grass-fed cheese, and grass-fed butter. Their grass-fed beef products include ground beef, steaks, ribs, and roasts.

Grass-Fed Traditions sources its beef from small-scale family farms in Wisconsin, most of them Amish. The cows are on pasture all summer and are finished on grass as well. They are never fed grains, which lowers CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) content. Grass-Fed Traditions does not process animals in the Winter or early Spring, when they are only eating dry grass. The animals are eating green grass right up to the time of processing, in contrast to other sources of "grass-fed" beef today which are simply supplied from cows in feedlots eating silage year round.

Grass-Fed Traditions, in consultation with farmers in Wisconsin, chose to develop a herd of Galloway cows as the main source of its new line of grass-fed beef. Galloway cattle are an ancient breed that originated in the rugged hill country of southwestern Scotland. They are related to the Angus which was developed in northeastern Scotland. While the Angus was selected for rapid growth on better feed, the Galloway was selected for its ability to thrive on poor forage in a cold, wet climate. They were first imported to the states in the 1850s. They are still rare in North America, and worldwide only number about 10,000. Their popularity is now increasing with the renewed interest in grass-fed and grass-finished beef.

The Galloway, unrivaled as a grazing breed, utilizes coarse grasses frequently shunned by other breeds. They have the ability to produce a high quality beef product directly from grass. Due to the breed's naturally dense, insulating coat the Galloway does not layer on excessive outside fat. Results of a multi-breed research project conducted by a Canadian Government Experiment Station reveal that the Galloway ranks second only to the Buffalo in hair density tests. The robust, hardy nature of the Galloway is especially suited for northern harsh climates. The claim that Galloway beef is juicy, tender, and flavorful is substantiated in recent USDA tests of Galloway crossbreds, when compared with eleven other breeds. Results of the Cycle IV Germ Plasm Evaluation (GPE) Program at the USDA Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), Clay Center, Nebraska, showed the Galloway crosses placing at the top of the chart for flavor, juiciness and tenderness.