By Reeva Ripley, Frozen and Bulk Buyer, Storekeeper Team Leader, Co-op Owner
Thousand Hills Grass-Fed Beef: Committed to 100% grass-fed beef and regenerative agricultural practices.
Thousand Hills Grass-Fed beef is now certified by the American Grass-Fed Association (AGA)! What does this change for their already great products you might ask? When you see the AGA logo on products it means that third party inspectors have gone to the farms to ensure that cattle are fed a 100% foraged diet, they were not confined but allowed to graze in pastures, animals were never treated with added hormones or antibiotics, were humanely raised, and that the beef you get was born, raised, and processed in the U.S.A. Thousand Hills in association with the AGA works to ensure that their farms use regenerative agricultural practices while grazing their cattle. Thousand Hills is committed to converting
200,000 acres of conventional grazing land to regenerative gazing land by 2025.
Regenerative agricultural practices means farmers raise cattle (and plants) in a way that helps rebuild soil health, increases biodiversity, and reduces erosion and run off. The healthier soil is able to draw more carbon from our atmosphere helping to reduce the impact of climate change. More carbon in the soil means diverse grasslands are re-established. Healthy soil and a diversity of plants to graze on means the beef you receive when purchasing Thousand Hills products is more nutrient defense than conventionally raised beef cattle. Regenerative agriculture benefits the local wildlife and pollinators too. When the soil is healthy, and the population of the plants and animals diverse, farmers can reduce or even eliminate their dependence on chemical herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, which in turn continues to increase the health of farmland soil! (To learn more about this agricultural practice click here!)
On top of their commitment to regenerative agricultural practices Thousand Hills Grass-fed beef is produced in Minnesota. This makes their beef a regional product for us Mid-westerners, meaning there is an even smaller carbon foot print for their fantastic products. Next time you’re in GreenTree stop by the fresh meat case and see what Thousand Hills products we offer. You can get a juicy steak and help support regenerative agricultural practices at the same time!
Sources:
https://www.americangrassfed.org
https://thousandhillslifetimegrazed.com/