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Angus in the snow.

I could not believe the weather forecast early this week.  Meteorologists were predicting snow.  They were not just saying that there was a chance of snow, but they were predicting anywhere from 2-6 inches of accumulated snow.  It was hard to believe.

We already received snow on December 4th, which was the earliest recorded snowfall in our area.  Then not too long ago, we awoke to find a light dusting of snow had fallen overnight.  This winter has been one of the coldest winters in over the last decade.  We don’t know what to think.

It began raining mid-morning on Tuesday.  Before we knew it, the temperatures began falling and so did sleet.  About 1:30, the first flakes intermingled with the rain and sleet.  It was a real messy mix of precipitation.

The view from the dam.

I decided to stay home instead of traveling to College Station to drop my children off at violin lessons and dance class.  I am glad that I did.  The rain and sleet dissipated as the snow fell heavily.  I have not seen snow like this since my family skied in Colorado.  It was amazing.

Something magical happens when it snows.  There is silence as everything seems to quietly enjoy the beauty of the fallen snow.  Our horses did not mind the snow.  They were dressed warmly in their horse blankets.  I think that they enjoyed the change in scenery.

The cows stayed in the woods.  They enjoyed staying under the natural cover of the evergreen branches.  By the end of the night even the pine trees were covered with snow as if someone lightly flocked them.

The deer were moving at dusk as usual.  Watching a herd of seven does cross the county road, leap across our fence line, and amble across one of our pastures was a beautiful sight.  My husband saw a grey fox earlier that morning in the same pasture.  Our family takes great pleasure in co-existing with wildlife.

Cross Creek Cattle Company is a great place to live any time of the year.  Each season brings about different activities.  Because snow is such an uncommon occurrence here, we tried to enjoy it as much as possible.  The inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York reads, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers of the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

The ranch could have a similar motto, too.  Regardless of the weather, a rancher must take care of the animals.  The herd has to be checked.  The horses need to be fed.  Hay has to be put out to both in the winter.  Ranchers never get the day off.  There is always something that needs to be done.  It just goes with the territory.

For many years it has been customary for farmers to give their livestock antibiotics regardless of the health of the animal.  Proponents argue that antibiotics promote growth and prevent disease, which in turn creates cheaper meat.  They insist that this is good for the consumer.  Whether you agree or not, most farmers do not have a choice in the matter.  Antibiotics are included in most feed on which both big-scale and small-scale farmers depend.  Therefore most of the meat in the United States has traces of antibiotics.

A few weeks ago on “Oprah,” she interviewed Michael Pollan.  I showed a portion of the show which included a Food IQ Quiz in an article called “Food, Inc.“  According to this quiz the amount of antibiotics administered to livestock was staggering.  It was 28 million pounds of antibiotics a year.  These antibiotics are given to healthy and sick market animals.  These are animals being raised for meat.

After years of being exposed to antibiotic-laden meat, doctors and health officials are beginning to see a correlation with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.  Denmark is one of the first nations to discontinue the widespread administration of antibiotics in all of its farm animals.  Of course, farmers can give medicine to sick animals.  Katie Couric recently reported about antibiotic-free animals.  Watch the report for more information.

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As I watched the report, I was very disappointed with the woman representing the National Pork Board.  She was convinced in spite of the evidence of success in Denmark that reducing the amount of antibiotics would hurt the American consumer.  Change is hard for some people, but I believe that soon there will be a huge change in the way that farmers conduct their business and raise their animals.  I hope that it will be a move back to the way our great-grandparents raised food.

Years ago some farmers went against the grain like Applegate Farms (mentioned in the news report) and Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We do not give our animals antibiotics.  If one animal should become ill, then they are immediately separated and treated in a humane manner.  We follow the veterinarian’s instructions and restore the animal’s health.  However, we also remove the animal from the grass fed beef program.

We will not sell a cow that has been treated with antibiotics, growth hormones, and/or steroids for human consumption in our all-natural, grass fed program.  We do not have many problems with sick cows.  In fact I cannot remember the last time that an antibiotic had to be administered to any in our herd.  We provide ample room for grazing, good quality hay, great pastures of grass, and clean drinking water.  We consider these things preventive medicine.

Since we do not feed the cattle grain, then we do not have to worry about antibiotics being delivered to our animals in feed.  Eating grass fed beef from Cross Creek Cattle Company is safe.  No need to worry.  Our reputation depends on it.  We will not sell meat that we would not serve in our own homes.  Therefore, there are no antibiotics in our meat supply.

The other day I stumbled upon a HBO movie called “Temple Grandin.”  It is based on a true story.  Claire Danes stars in the movie as Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who changes the way most cattle businesses treat cattle.  From sale barns to slaughter houses, Dr. Temple Grandin challenged them to rethink how they worked with cattle.

It was an intriguing movie.  I enjoyed watching it.  Most likely, Claire Danes will be nominated for some award because her performance was outstanding.  If you are interested, the movie trailer is below.  You get to see and hear from Dr. Grandin herself.

As much as I liked the movie, this article is not meant to be a review of the movie.  I wanted to discuss Dr. Grandin and cattle handling techniques.

Dr. Temple Grandin is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University.  She is autistic, which she believes allows her to see things differently.  Most importantly, she is a keen observer of animal behavior.  She spent years researching cattle in particular.  Dr. Grandin also designs livestock handling facilities, which incorporate all of her research and years of experience.

As a child raised on a working cattle ranch, I already knew the proper techniques of livestock handling because that was how I was taught.  It was how my daddy ranched.  It was the only way we ever worked with our cattle.  Our herd is our livelihood.  You don’t mistreat your livelihood if you want to stay in business.  I only learned recently that our ways were based on Dr. Grandin’s research.  My dad knew a lot about her, her research, and had read many of her articles.

Why would the way that Cross Creek Cattle Company handles their cattle affect you?  It is simple.  Research shows that livestock handling and stress directly affect the meat quality.  When gentle handling and low-stress techniques are employed, there is good meat quality.  This idea is expounded upon in a lengthy article called “The Relationship Between Good Handling/Stunning and Meat Quality of Beef, Pork, and Lamb.”  Four experts co-wrote this article, one of which was Dr. Grandin.

I think that it is fair to say that Dr. Temple Grandin has made a tremendous impact in the cattle industry.  She has also indirectly affected consumers of meat products with her research.  At the end of the movie, it stated that 80% of all cattle handling facilities in the United States employ Dr. Grandin’s techniques of low-stress management and gentle handling.  She has played a large and important role in our lives.

If you are interested in raising grass fed beef, the book, Grass-Fed Cattle by Julius Ruechel is a great resource.  The author spends a good portion of time discussing proper cattle handling techniques.  He introduced me to terms like flight zone and low-stress handling.  I had no idea at the time that these techniques were based on Dr. Grandin’s research.  To me, they were just common sense ways to work with cows.

I am glad to know about Dr. Temple Grandin and her work.  Even though I grew up on a ranch using her techniques, it feels good to know that her research was the reason.  So thank you, Dr. Temple Grandin.  Thank you for working so hard for humane and respectful practices to be used in the cattle industry.

And if you get a chance to see the movie, I recommend it.  I thought it was fascinating.

At Cross Creek Cattle Company, we do not just raise grass fed beef.  We garden organically.  We pick wild grapes and berries.  We tend our fruit trees.  We eat fresh fish from our lake and ponds.  Our family believes in the health benefits of eating real food.

Recently I received many phone calls by family and friends who viewed The Oprah Winfrey Show last week.  I did not watch it as it aired, but Oprah was interviewing Michael Pollan.  He is one of the most famous proponents of natural, healthy foods.  When he eats meat, Mr. Pollan chooses grass fed beef, which is why I received all the phone calls.

Michael Pollan has written many books like, The Omnivore’s Dilemna, and has delivered many speeches on the subject of food.  You can search his name on YouTube and you will have many different choices of videos to watch.  His most recent project has been a documentary called “Food Inc.“  I have not seen the movie, but it has intrigued me.  To see more about the movie as well as watch its trailer, click here.

To see a portion of Oprah’s show from January 21st about Food.  Watch this video.  It starts out with a food quiz.  You will not believe how much antibiotics are given to livestock in one year.  It is astounding!  The clip also gives a peek into the documentary, “Food Inc.”

Oprah’s interview, “Food 101 with Michael Pollan” is available to read.  Mr. Pollan also has a new-book out called, Food Rules.  In short, Mr. Pollan wants America to get back to what our great-grandparents ate, to eat real food.  He calls out other nations in the world that live on seal blubber or cow blood mixed with milk and have little heart problems and/or type-2 diabetes.  This line of thought and the desire to eat what our ancestors enjoyed daily is very similar to one of my favorite authors on food and nutrition, Sally Fallon.

In an article, “Review of Nourishing Traditions,” I go into further detail about Ms. Fallon’s theories on health and nutrition.  In my opinion, her book Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, is a must-have for anyone concerned about how and what their family eats.

In light of all the national debate on health care reform, I think that it is safe to say that we are all concerned about our health.  The connection that Michael Pollan makes is how our health is affected by the foods that we eat.

We are concerned about what we eat here on Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We are also very happy to be able to offer grass fed beef to the public.  Our beef might cost more than a steak at a Super Wal-Mart grocery store, but as Michael Pollan asked, “What are the long-term health costs of buying the cheaper food?”  I assure you that our grass fed beef has been raised as a herd on grass.  Our beef has not been raised on antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids, or grain.  If I might add, our grass fed beef is not only nutritious, but also very flavorful and delicious.