A new beginning in livestock farming
For
generations,
livestock
farming
has
been
approached
by
a
capitalist
standpoint:
Raise
as
much
beef
as
fast
as
possible
for
maximum
profit.
But
five
star
restaurants
across
the
world
are
signing
on
for
a
new
kind
of
beef.
Not
gimmicks
like
‘hormone
free’
or
‘grass
fed’,
but
a
new
and
revolutionary
form
of
beef
is
dominating
the
market:
Low
Stress
Beef.
This
is
the
second
year
my
family
has
pioneered
the
concept
of
low
stress
cattle.
The
idea
is
simple:
The
best
cattle
are
the
happiest
and
most
docile
cattle.
Extra
care
is
taken
in
moving,
feeding,
and
raising
cattle.
The
biggest
change
is
attitude.
Before;
we’d
resort
to
the
bovine’s
natural
fear
of
humans
to
move
them.
Wherever
we
went,
they
would
stay
a
safe
distance
away,
and
we
would
use
this
to
our
advantage
when
moving
cattle
from
pasture
to
pasture.
Now,
the
cattle
move
with
us.
Every
chance
we
get,
we’re
out
in
the
green
fields
hand-‐feeding
hungry
cows
ears
of
corn,
or
scratching
them
behind
the
ears.
My
job
is
one
of
the
most
important:
Instigating
this
human
trust
in
calves
at
a
young
age.
Every
day
I
walk
through
the
feedlot
or
the
pasture,
sitting
down
and
letting
the
curious
calves
familiarize
themselves
with
me.
Some
are
more
friendly
than
others.
One
particular
heifer,
A113,
likes
to
lower
her
head
and
push
me
around
the
yard.
Unfortunately,
she’s
doesn’t
realize
how
a
big
heavy
heifer
can
unintentionally
harm
a
lighter
human.
I
can
scratch
her
under
the
neck,
sit
on
top
of
her
back,
or
put
my
head
against
hers
and
play
reverse
tug-‐of-‐war.
Low
stress
beef
isn’t
just
a
way
to
cattle
easier
to
work
with
while
bettering
their
lives.
A
relaxed
steer
provides
premium
cuts
of
beef,
bringing
a
whole
new
slice
of
revenue
into
the
trade.
While
systematically
improving
global
relations
between
farmers
and
corporations,
and
conflagrating
animal
welfare,
low
stress
farming
is
the
solution
livestock
farmers
have
been
waiting
for.
It’s
only
a
matter
of
time
before
it
spreads
across
the
state.
In
the
meantime,
I’ll
continue
to
spend
my
afternoons
with
A113.