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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.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

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.

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.

As I sat in a waiting room yesterday afternoon, I flipped through the February issue of “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine.  A word on a page caught my eye as I was skimming through the pages of the issue.  It was “grass fed beef.”  I had to stop what I was doing and begin turning back the pages one by one as I tried to find that page again.  What could the words “grass fed beef” have anything to do with bettering one’s home or garden?

I found it.  It was on a page devoted to heart healthy foods.  Actually it was the second food listed on the page.  Grass fed beef was on the same page as many other well-known healthy foods like salmon and oatmeal.  Grass fed beef made it on the list because of high levels of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA).

According to Wikipedia, CLA is most known for its anti-cancer properties.  Their article goes on to list other beneficial qualities of CLA.  These acids also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, fight inflammation, reduce body fat, etc.  Who would not want any of these benefits while eating delicious grass fed beef?

In addition to grass fed beef, other foods were listed as heart friendly foods.  Grape juice, blueberries, and other berries made the list for their antioxidants.  Almonds and salmon were chosen for their omega-3s.  Soybeans appeared for their protein and fiber.  Canola oil was listed for its low saturated fat.  Oatmeal is famous for its fiber as well as its ability to lower cholesterol.  Last but not least was spinach.  It apparently has so many benefits for the heart that they could not name them all.

It was exciting to see grass fed beef classified as heart friendly in an unbiased magazine article.  It was not surprising though.  I have occasionally shown research about the benefits of eating grass fed beef.  For example you can read, “Top Ten Reasons to Buy Grass Fed Beef“  or “The Health Benefits of Grass Fed Beef.”  I think it is exciting to see that grass fed beef  is becoming more mainstream.

Cross Creek Cattle Company can supply your family with healthy, nutritious, and delicious grass fed beef. At this time we are taking orders and are harvesting the beef based on supply and demand.  In other words, we are not publicly declaring a harvest date, but rather supplying the beef when a whole cow is purchased by one or more persons.

Place your order or contact the ranch by phone if you are interested.  We will need a $100.00 non-refundable deposit to secure your order.  Please visit our website for further information and/or contact me.

We harvested our last grass fed beef for the year.  It aged for two weeks before having it cut according to our customer’s needs.  Most customers went with the standard method.  This  includes 1″ thick steaks, tenderized round steaks, 4 pound roasts, and much more.

We want to thank our customers for choosing Cross Creek Cattle Company to meet their grass fed beef needs.  We guarantee that our beef is hormone free, steroid free, antibiotic free, and grain free.  We work hard to raise beef that is all-natural, flavorful, and nutritious.

On the ranch’s website, there is a page dedicated to the health benefits of grass fed beef.  The page is based on the book, Pasture Perfect, by Jo Robinson.   Researchers have found that overall grass fed beef is much healthier for people than grain fed beef.  The most noticeable difference is the amount of fat.  Grass fed beef is much more lean for obvious reasons.

Therefore, grass fed beef needs to be prepared with its leanness in mind.  On the page What to Expect, there are several methods a cook can employ to ensure tasty, tender meat.  We also include recipes to use with our grass fed beef.  Recipes for chili, soup, stuffed mushrooms, and roast are available to the public.

The best characteristic of grass fed beef is its flavor.  Have you ever purchased a beautiful, thick steak from the grocery store only to be disappointed that it had absolutely no flavor?  It might as well have been chewy water.  We wait to harvest cattle until they are about 18 months old.  This allows the beef to develop a full flavor.  It is delicious!  It is how beef should taste.

Those of us at Cross Creek Cattle Company want to take this time right before the end of the year to thank all of our customers.  Whether you purchased beef or a show calf, we thank you for supporting our family owned and operated ranch.  We wish you the best this holiday season.

Lane is cauterizing the horn while Clayton hold its head and Jake stands ready with medicine.

It was a beautiful Scottish day at Cross Creek Cattle  Company.  The overcast sky and the cool day was highlighted with constant drizzle that dampened your hair, clothing, etc.  This of course made everything feel even colder.

My immediate family stood in the barn with my father discussing the day’s plans.  Sorting, de-horning, branding, vaccinating, and castrating were the items on the agenda.  We divided up the jobs and got to work.

We are all experienced cowboys having worked cattle for most of our lives.  Even my eight-year old son is competent in many areas of cattle work.  My dad is the most experienced of us all.  He worked side-by-side with his grandfather since he could walk.  Isn’t funny how cyclical life can be?  Here my dad was working alongside his grandchildren.

This particular kind of cattle work is not for the faint at heart.  You are going to see blood.  You are going to smell the scent of burning flesh.  It is one of the most unpleasant parts of living on a working ranch.

Daddy is branding. Clay is holding the vaccines waiting for his turn to work.

It is easier than in the past.  We have squeeze chutes that hold the calf still while you work on them.  You do not have to rope, tackle, and throw the calf.  We have electric branding irons and a cauterizing instrument.  We do not have to keep a fire going with metal brands sitting in the fire until they have red-hot tips.

We do give two vaccinations.  Each calf receives an 8-Way Blackleg and IBR4 vaccine.  The first prevents a fatal disease called Blackleg.  The most susceptible calves are ones thriving with great weight gain by eating nutritious grass.  A certain spore in the ground causes this disease and it is completely preventable with the vaccine.  The latter prevents the Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) disease.  It is a transmittable disease via contact.  We have never had any of our cattle with this illness, but there are other herds nearby.  Occasionally we find a stray cow in our herd from a neighbor’s pasture.  Both vaccines are ones that we deem necessary to prevent for the health of our herd.

We brand the cows we intend to keep.  Believe it or not, but there are still cattle rustlers.  People steal cattle and usually take them directly to the sale.  A brand is one sure way to prove that a cow belongs to you.  You have to register your brand with the state.  Our brand is a C with a squiggly line beneath it.  The C stands for the alliteration in the name of our ranch.  The line symbolizes the creeks that cross the ranch.

We de-horn for safety purposes.  Our cattle are docile and easy-going.  Regardless of the naturally good disposition, it is always safer to work around cows without sharp-tipped horns.  There are several ways to remove horns.  If you act when the calf is very young, you can scoop out the horns.  You can pay for a veterinarian to perform cosmetic surgery in a sense to remove the horns.  You can also remove the tips.  The horns will not continue to grow so the cow will have blunt nubs.  We chose the do the latter this time.  It is important to cauterize the bleeding because a cow can lose a lot of blood if you do not act.

It was a successful day.  We worked together as a team.  Nobody got hurt.  The cattle are doing fine.  Cross Creek Cattle Company is literally a family-owned and operated ranch.  We are teaching the next generation so that high quality cattle and grass fed beef can continue for generations to come.

Cross Creek Cattle Company is in the process of weaning 10 calves right now.  My mom surprised me by visiting the ranch.  Her house is very close to the barn where we separate the calves from the mama cows.  She got to enjoy the endless ballads that the calves sang to their mamas and the mamas sang to their calves.  Needless to say, she did not sleep very well the first night of weaning.

It has been a couple of days now and the serenade has stopped.  The mama cows have left their calves and rejoined the herd grazing in the bottom.  The calves are adjusting to their new no-dairy diet.

Weaning time is a stressful time for both the cow and her calf.  At Cross Creek Cattle Company we try to eliminate as much stress as possible.  A stout pipe fence with cattle panel welded to it separate the calves from the cows.  The cows can see, smell, and speak to one another.  The calves just cannot nurse.

The calves are enjoying eating grass, which they have done for months.  They just are not supplementing their diets with milk anymore.  To help maintain their body condition during this time of adjustment, we feed them a very small daily ration of alfalfa pellets.  Alfalfa is very high in protein grass.  We start the calves on a small ration and slowly build up their daily allowance of the dehydrated grass to prevent bloat.  Cows can bloat on alfalfa because it is so rich.

The calves also have their own mixture of kelp meal, stock salt, and diatomaceous earth.  We continue to allow them to freely partake of this mineral supplement and natural de-wormer.  It is self-limiting.  They can only take what their body needs.  Of course, we supply the calves with fresh clean water and hay.

Soon we will be able to return these calves back to the herd.  Their mothers will welcome them back as adolescents; however, they will not be allowed to nurse.  The cows’ milk supply will have dried up.  There will always be one calf in the bunch who tries to resume nursing, but it is quickly kicked away.  Calves will be calves.

Weaning time means that we decide how the calves are going to work for us.  We will determine if we have any show heifers.  We will sell some to other ranchers.  We have some that we will keep to build up our herd.  Of course, we also have our grass fed beef business.  If you are interested in ordering delicious and nutritious grass fed beef, contact me at lndehaven@aol.com or call (936)870-5792.

There are fewer and fewer full-time ranch managers anymore.  It is a job description that encompasses many skills; it requires much more than being a cowboy.  So I thought I would interview the ranch manager of Cross Creek Cattle Company to give a better idea of what his job entails as well as tell you about the ranch.

Lane DeHaven

Lane DeHaven has been working for Cross Creek Cattle Company for four years.  He brought many skills to the ranch and has acquired many more through on-the-job training.  He is a husband and the father of five children.

What is your most challenging job as ranch manager?
I think it is like most jobs where your biggest challenge is keeping the boss happy.

As ranch manager, what are your main responsibilities?
I am in charge of pasture management, equipment management, managing cattle, managing horses, fence building and repair, and wildlife management.  There is always something to do.

Why did Cross Creek Cattle Company make the switch from traditional ranching to grass fed beef?
It was a family decision.  We saw a need for more healthy beef and wanted to enter this new and exciting market.  We have always enjoyed eating our own beef, and we thought we would extend that privilege to other families.

What is the biggest change for you as ranch manager since the switch?
I spend a lot more time out in the pastures.  I really have to watch the grass and rotate the herd accordingly.

In what ways, if any, is the ranch environmentally responsible?
Well, this is something near and dear to Mr. Holliday’s heart.  We created a wildlife refuge.  As mentioned previously, I really watch the grass in the pastures to ensure proper grazing which eliminates erosion.  We keep our waterways clean and uncontaminated.  We do not use antibiotics or hormones in our cattle.  This translates into healthier food for ourselves and our customers.

What is the biggest advantage to having your family live and work on a ranch?
There are so many advantages to this lifestyle.  We are able to provide our own food.  We raise other animals, have a garden, and of course raise grass fed beef.  But the absolute biggest reason and the reason that I continue being a ranch manager is that I get to see my family throughout the day.  It is so wonderful to work and play alongside my wife and children all day.

Are there any downsides to your job?
I enjoy being outdoors and doing physical labor.  For some, these would be the downsides.  However, I guess the downside for me is knowing that I will never be retiring a multi-millionaire.  I think it is much more important though to invest ones time in the things that matter like family.

What is your vision for Cross Creek Cattle Company in the future?
A bigger tractor would be nice.  Naw, I am just giving the owners a hard time.  Seriously, I would like to see this ranch more profitable and a leader in the grass fed beef industry.  I would like to see our grass fed beef sold by the cut to families, restaurants, and grocery stores.  Most of all, I would like to see the ranch continue to be family-owned business for generations to come.

There you have it.  The words of a full-time ranch manager who obviously holds his family and its business dear to his heart.  If you want to contact Mr. Lane DeHaven, click here.  If you would like to read about or order the grass fed beef that Lane serves his own family, click here.