Welcome to the Ranch!

Less than a year ago, Richard Manning wrote an interesting article for Mother Earth News.  The article is “The Amazing Benefits of Grass-Fed Meat.”  I have written many articles showing you the health benefits of eating grass fed beef, but this article explores more far-reaching benefits. 

On page six of the article, Mr. Manning lists the following benefits of Grassfarming, which is the term most grass fed ranchers use to refer to their occupation.  They are grass farmers.  Their beef and herd depend on high quality grasses. 

“The Multiple Benefits of Grassfarming

• More humane animal treatment
• More nutritious meat and dairy products
• Reduced flooding and soil erosion
• Increased groundwater recharge
• More sustainable manure management
• Less E. coli food poisoning
• More fertile soil and more nutritious forages
• More diverse and healthier ecosystems
• Reduced use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to grow unsustainable corn and soy”

If these benefits intrigue you and you want to know more, then please read Richard Manning’s article in its entirety. 

As important as the health of ourselves and our families are, it is great to read about the other important benefits of grass fed ranching.  At Cross Creek Cattle Company, we have pursued many of these things for decades.  For example, we have always treated our cattle humanely.  We set apart a section of the ranch as a wildlife refuge.  We have worked towards improving our pastures. 

It is nice to know that we are not the only ones.  The industry itself is more environmentally conscious, which is a growing trend.  According to Allen Williams, the president of Livestock Management Consultants L.L.C., the grass fed beef industry is expected to top “$2 billion this year.”  To read more go to news desk at Eat Wild.

Notice that Mr. Williams is specifically talking about the grass fed beef industry.  I wonder how big the entire grass fed industry is.  From pastured pork, pastured chicken and eggs, grass fed lamb, to all the dairy products from grass fed sheep, cows, and goats, the number must be staggering.  I suspect with all the benefits of grass fed products and ranching that this industry will only continue to grow.

Whenever you believe in something, it is nice to hear others agree with you.  It confirms everything you have discovered for yourself.  At Cross Creek Cattle Company, we believe in grass fed beef.  We believe that the beef is healthier for your body.

We believe it is ideal to allow nature to do as it was intended.  Cattle were made to thrive on grass.  So we rotate our cattle from green pasture to green pasture allowing them to forage for themselves.

We believe that growth hormones, steroids, antibiotics, etc are not good additives to our food supply; therefore, we do not use them.  “You are what you eat.”  Our cattle enjoy free choice loose mineral mixture of salt, kelp meal, and diatomaceous earth.  The latter is a natural de-wormer.

We love our land.  It has been in our family for generations.  Not only do we work hard to be good stewards of the land, but we encourage wildlife to live here too.  We have set up a wildlife refuge on part of our property.  A variety of wildlife can be observed or heard.

Environmentally-speaking grass fed beef is very friendly to the earth.  Through pasture rotation, our cattle are not only eating fresh grass, but they are not eroding away the soil with heavy traffic in one area.  The cattle fertilize the soil.  Since they are not confined in the same spot day after day, there is no offending odor drifting from our ranch.

I found this video by US Wellness Meats.  Their slogan is “Our animals eat right so you can too.”  If you don’t understand what grass fed ranching looks like, this video will show you a typical grass fed operation in action.  If you are not sold on the health benefits of grass fed beef, this video will tell you some important information.  And if you are already convinced about the benefits of grass fed beef, this video will just confirm your beliefs.

I want to thank everyone who has signed up on our waiting list for grass fed beef.  It is not too late to sign up.  Email me at lndehaven@aol.com or leave a comment with your name, address, email address, phone number, and what size order you are interested in purchasing.

A mama cow and her calf on our ranch.

One of my purposes in writing articles for Cross Creek Cattle Company is to educate the public on the benefits of eating grass fed beef.  I occasionally find information from news reports, talk shows, documentaries, magazines, etc. and share them with you.

Time Magazine published an article by Lisa Abend entitled, “How Cows (Grass Fed Only) Could Save the Planet.”  It is an article refuting the claims on vegetarians who say something to the effect of “Save the Planet –Eat less beef.”  The article argues that grass fed cows actually have less a carbon footprint than the soybean farms and factories that manufacture tofu.  It also states that grass fed cows eating as nature intended is actually better for the environment through pasture rotation.  If you are interested, please read the article for yourself.

Dr. Mercola runs one of the top 10 health websites in the United States.  Dr. Mercola is a big proponent of eating grass fed beef.  He responded to the Time article with his own article, “The Ominous Beef Cover Up: The Hidden Truth Behind the Meat on your Plate.”

He believes that modern farming practices have not only hurt our planet, but have also damaged our health.  Dr. Mercola advises eating only grass fed meat.  He also advises to find local sources for the beef.

At Cross Creek Cattle Company, we are more than happy to supply families with our grass fed beef.  Our location in Plantersville, Texas allows us to serve a large area.  We are close to the 4th largest city in the United States, Houston, and its surrounding area.  We are close to the Bryan/College Station area.  We are also just as close to Huntsville, Conroe, Tomball, Waller, Brenham, and all the places in between.

If you have any questions or would like to place an order, contact Lara DeHaven at 936-870-5798 or by email at lndehaven@aol.com.  I look forward to hearing from you.

We rotate our pastures intensively to ensure good grazing of the grass. This helps take care of weeds as well. Rotating our pastures also ensures that erosion is not taking place as cattle’s hoof prints can tear up over-grazed land easily. It also provides great nutrition to our cattle, which allows them to keep in great condition.

We manage our ponds and lakes also at Cross Creek Cattle Company. We look for a healthy balance of fish and plant life in the water. If we catch fish out of one pond and do not eat them, then we can replenish another pond with these fish. A great benefit from keeping all of your ponds stocked is getting to catch and eat fresh fish whenever you get the craving.  Our cattle and wild animals all drink from this water supply.  It is everyone’s best interest to keep the waterways safe.

Another focus of the ranch is to maintain the native animals: white-tailed deer, squirrels, birds, etc. Many years ago, cattle ranchers and the wildlife fought against each other as the animals competed for land and food. At our ranch, we have always wanted them to co-exist. In fact, we have put into place a wildlife refuge which I will write on in another article.

We encourage wild grapes and wild dewberries and blackberries to grow in designated areas. Our entire family enjoys getting out and picking the ripe fruit. The birds enjoy some of our crop as well. You can tell that the berries draw insects because of the spiders that build their webs on some of the briar bushes.

Doing all of the above encourages a healthy eco-system on the ranch. Using environmentally responsible methods, we hope to pass down a great treasure to our grandchildren one day: a sound ranch with safe drinking water, healthy food, great fishing, a good wildlife population, and wild fruits.