MM Livestock Co

After spending several hours with our District Attorney looking over the criminal aspects of the case against those persons that attempted to destroy my way of life, killed a good colt, and darn near ruined a nice pickup truck I asked myself if it is all really worth it. YES IT IS! It is who I am, farming is as much a part of me as breathing. Our family has been on the land since before this country was born. I am no activist but I do take action. I believe in what I do, I have a God given right to do it, and I owe it to my customers to do it well. I believe that the truth is more important than the dollar and that criminals should be punished. The new laws that went in to effect will help ensure that justice is served. I still can't fathom why anyone would hurt animals to hide the truth. It's sick! This has been going on for MONTHS now and shows no sign of slowing down. I have full time security at the home place now, and no one comes through the gate that doesn't belong here. My time is much better spent tending to my stock and keeping everything running smoothly. Farmers and Ranchers are a tough bunch. We work hard, we play hard, and we love our lives. When we are pushed too hard, we push back! But we are also the first to lend a hand or give advice when asked. If any one of us allows these kind of senseless and vindictive acts to continue the small farmer is doomed. It is imperative that we defend our rights, expose those that are a danger to the health and welfare of people that need clean unadulterated food to survive, and continue to set examples for future generations. When choosing a farm that claims any kind of certification ask to see proof. For example Certified Natural Beef is a USDA program that costs several thousands of dollars to be a part of. We are lucky enough to sell a portion of our beef cattle to a Company that pays for that certification. For a smaller fee we can come in under their umbrella for the steers we keep to sell ourselves. We have to meet or exceed the criteria in order to do this but since we are a grass fed operation this is no problem. We also take additional steps to ensure quality. We pay extra to have our beef graded any time we harvest under USDA inspection. This is another quality control point for us. Anyone that says that grass fed beef won't grade is wrong! Properly managed grass fed and finished beef can consistently grade choice or better. Can we do it in 12- 14 months? No. Can we do it in 20 to 28 months? Absolutely! Grass fed animals mature at a natural rate. Not under artificial feed lot conditions. It takes time to do things correctly. Animals need time to finish before harvest. One of the butchers we use has offered to give a talk on the importance of finish, the benefits of proper aging, and explain cutability in detail. If you would like to attend in person let me know. We will have DVD's of the lecture available as well. builttoslide@msn.com Thanks for paying attention. Meg