Why Eat Grass-fed Beef?

“We believe that tall grass, clean water and cool shade make happy steers. Our ranches in Belvidere, Marengo and Virginia, IL have all of the above.”

It’s Better for your Health.

Research suggests grass-fed beef has more nutrients — as much as 10 times more beta-carotene, three times more Vitamin E and three times more omega-3 fatty acids. Grass fed beef has lower levels of unhealthy fats which are better for cardiovascular health while possessing a lower level of dietary cholesterol. Grass-fed beef is better for the environment and better for you due to no hormones and no antibiotics.

It’s Better for the Cattle.

Grazing on pasture is especially beneficial for our Q7 cattle, whose bodies are developed to eat grass. The roughage provided by grasses and other plants allow a steer to produce saliva, which helps neutralize acids that exist naturally in their digestive systems.  We take very good care of our animals and treat them with respect and pride. As a real working ranch, we handle our herd gently, on horseback using “light contact” gathering and sorting techniques that have been handed down through generations of ranching history.

It’s Better for the Environment.

Truly sustainable livestock ranching requires the use of a pasture-based system. Our cattle graze “Free range” with open access to clear running streams and lush green grass on the most beautiful pastures Northern Illinois has to offer. Pasture-raised cattle roam freely in their natural environment where they’re able to eat nutritious grasses and other plants that their bodies are able to digest. The pasture and cattle sustain a pure ecosystem and unlike industrial farms, which rely on large amounts of fossil fuels to truck feed and animal waste, pasture-based systems take advantage of the animal’s ability to feed itself and spread its own manure! In addition to dramatically improving the welfare of our steers, pasturing also helps reduce environmental damage, and yields Beef products that are tastier and more nutritious than foods produced on factory farms.

It tastes Better!

Most beef cows in America are raised for a short time on grass and then “finished” in confined feeding areas with a diet of grain or corn that is unnatural to them. Our Q7 Grass-fed steers eat grass their entire lives, as they have evolved to do. Because their life-cycle isn’t accelerated with hormones, our animals mature in the spring and summer when forage is bursting with new growth, seeds and nutrients. Those nutrients end up in the meat and result in a healthy and delicious product.

We Deliver!

Living “Green” is critical. Shopping is costly to the environment with all the trips we all make to the local supermarket and cost of trucking the goods across country to get it there. We try to help with that by only delivering in the Chicagoland or Rockford areas. Although, we have more fun when you visit the ranch to pick up your order and take a look around. Located just an hour and half from Chicago, toward Rockford, If you desire to eat healthier and leave a smaller carbon footprint then please call us to get on the right track.