Evident in the earliest known cave paintings and celebrated on blogs and in restaurants, humans have had a nearly 10,000-year relationship with beef. From the highly coveted wagyu of Japan, to Halal and Kosher dishes alike (and all those grass-fed burgers in between), beef is one of the most universal proteins around. Beef has a particularly interesting history in the United States and illustrates the cultural and economic draw that meat had on our country. According to a report on npr.org, in the 1840’s, cattle grazing lands were at a significant proximity to cities, often within them. The access and affordability of meat at the time was shocking to new Americans as we see from letters written from early Irish immigrants, astonished at how much meat they were able to consume. Read More

Photo; Charles Fred

The debate over eating beef and its impact on your health persists as a hot wellness topic. However, in Argentina, a country that traditionally consumes beef everyday, the rates of heart disease, Alzheimer, and colon cancer are consistently lower than in the United States. This is due in part because the majority of cows in Argentina, especially cattle raised and grazed in the Humid Pampa, eat grass from open pastures instead of cows in North America which subsist on meal from feedlots. Read More

Photo: artizone

By: Justin Chan

Although news about a more eco-friendly American beef industry seems promising, some critics are uneasy about the ground beef that consumers are buying.

According to ABC News, 70 percent of ground beef sold at supermarkets is made up of “pink slime” or beef trimmings. Gerald Zirnstein, a former United States Department of Agriculture scientist who first coined the term, said that customers are being cheated out of their money and unknowingly buying artificial beef. “It’s economic fraud,” he said. “It’s not fresh ground beef. … It’s a cheap substitute being added in.” Read More

Photo: Rennett Stowe

By: Justin Chan

The American beef industry has had a history of disproving misperceived notions, and it seems as if it will continue to do so. While much of the focus has been on beef’s connection to heart disease and cancer, NPR reported that a new study conducted by Jude Capper, an assistant professor of dairy science at Washington State University, revealed that the production of beef has been more eco-friendly than ever.

The study comes at a time when some are wondering whether this planet will be able to support a growing population. In her study, Capper pointed out that cattlemen now use 12 percent less water, 19 percent less feed, 33 percent less land and 9 percent less fossil fuel energy. “[The industry] knows far better how to care for, feed and manage cattle,” she said.

Despite its positive outlook, the report has come under criticism from some of Capper’s peers. While several environmentalists agree that beef production is now more effective, there are questions concerning other methods that are used in the process. Read More

Photo: Colin Shackelford

By: Dylan Rodgers

A few months ago in Albuquerque, NM the skies were dark, the air was thick and black with the only weather forecast saying, “Smoke”.  The fires in Arizona were emitting such massive quantities of smoke that New Mexicans were blanketed by dark, ashy fog that reduced their range of vision to a few blocks in every direction.  With every gust of the blistering winds whipping through the canyons and plains, the fires had quickly grown out of control.  Read More

Photo: David Groth

BY EMMA HABERMAN

There are many reasons to go vegetarian: the environment, animal activism, general health benefits. A recent article in Bloomberg news has given us one more: the livestock economy.

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photo: Ken Banks

When you order steak at a restaurant, it’s hard to tell just by sight where the cow was raised or how the cow was fed. More and more restaurants are Read More

Weekly Dish Recommendation By Julia Burgi

Add some color to your weekend with glowingly red Beef Carpaccio topped with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, arugula and Parmesan. The way this dish is served at Read More

St. Patrick’s day conjures up images of parades, beer, green-clad crowds, and, of course, Corned Beef! Read More

Pork may still be thought of by many as “the other white meat,” but the slogan’s creators, the National Pork Board are switching gears. An $11 million campaign will have a new message though, “Pork: Be inspired.” Read More