Ian wrote in message
om...
Consumers want three things related to thier food. They want it
produced cheaply, abundantly, and of the highest quality. The problem
is that it is hard to produce abundant, high quality, CHEEP food. And
because of this economics is the main driving factor when producing
food. Grass fed feeder cattle may be lower in cholesterol and of a
unique taste, but economics reflect that the beef can and is produced
cheeper, easier, and of a more consistant quality than pature fattened
beef. Cattleman are paid for the marbling in the meat of the animal.
High rations of grain fed to the animals give us the tnderness and
taste consumers demand.

It is interesting that food panel tests conducted on lamb show that in
the NZ grass fed lamb is prefered for flavour, In Spain grain fed is
preferred, while in the UK a lamb that has had some grain but still
basically grass fed is considered best.
The cattle I sell for finishing by specialist finishers here in the UK
are different breeds (mainly continental) to those which I keep for home
consumption and for selling direct to people for putting in their
freezers. Here I use the old dairy breeds which I grass finish.
(Something possible when you have five feet of rain spread relatively
evenly throughout the year)


--
Jim Webster

"The pasture of stupidity is unwholesome to mankind"

'Abd-ar-Rahman b. Muhammad b. Khaldun al-Hadrami'