In the second installment of an occasional series, Denver Post's Douglas Brown and Cyrus McCrimmon reported on their experience following the path of grass-fed beef from ranch to retail.
They started on the Arapaho Ranch in Wyoming, which is the largest organic, grass-fed cattle ranch in North America. The cattle live a hormone-free lifestyle in open ranges, until they are 30 months old. Then they are slaughtered, and in less than a week are on the shelves at Whole Foods Market.
The article stresses the importance of the nutrients in the grass fed to the cattle and the ecosystem of the ranch. They explain the process that led the ranch to become organic, talk about the lives of the ranchers who work there, examine the slaughtering process (note: this part gets graphic) and mention the USDA inspection. Then they follow the meat as it is prepared for consumption, and speak with shoppers who purchased and ate the meat.