Why Buy Local Beef?

Healthier Beef, Backed by Science

Decades of peer-reviewed research confirm that grass-fed beef is nutritionally superior to conventional grain-fed beef found in grocery stores:

• Better Omega Balance: Grass-fed beef has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 2:1, compared to 9:1 in grain-fed beef. Research shows a ratio of 2.5:1 reduced cancer cell proliferation. The standard Western diet is excessively high in omega-6, contributing to inflammation and chronic disease.
• More Vitamins: Vitamin A is 2.9x higher and B vitamins (B3, B5, B6) are 2-3x higher in grass-fed beef, thanks to cattle actively grazing on growing forages.
• Fewer Calories: Grass-fed beef contains less total fat, meaning fewer calories per pound with a superior nutritional profile.
• No Hormones: The FDA has approved six different hormones for use in conventional beef production. Our cattle are raised without any artificial growth hormones.

What's Really in Grocery Store Beef?

The industrial beef supply chain is built for volume, not transparency:

• 87.5% of feedlots give cattle antimicrobials in feed, water, or by injection. Nearly all large feedlots (99.5%) use antimicrobials.
• Over 70% of antibiotics sold in the United States are given to livestock, contributing to antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can infect humans.
• Grain-finishing often requires antibiotics because high-calorie corn/soy diets cause liver abscesses and digestive issues in cattle.
• Large-scale recalls are common — recent examples include 167,000 pounds of ground beef recalled for E. coli contamination.
• When outbreaks occur, traceback activities often fail at the retail level because there's too much sorting, commingling, and blending to track individual animals.

Animal Welfare Matters

How cattle are raised affects not just the quality of the meat, but reflects our values as a community:

• Feedlot cattle live in just 125-250 square feet per animal, packed more than 1,000 animals into small confined spaces. Our cattle roam freely across open pastures.
• Conventional feedlot cattle receive hormone implants including synthetic estrogen and testosterone to force faster growth. We never use hormones.
• Beta-agonists used in feedlots are linked to lameness and loss of mobility in cattle.
• Our cattle eat their natural diet and live in low-stress conditions, which means healthier animals and better beef.

Better for the Environment

Pasture-based farming like ours works with the land, not against it:

• Regenerative grazing systems can sequester up to 3.6 tons of carbon per hectare annually, actually helping fight climate change.
• Regeneratively managed sites show 13% more soil carbon and 9% more soil nitrogen compared to conventional grazing.
• Pasture-based systems reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and the massive corn/soy monoculture operations needed to feed industrial feedlots.
• Research shows that the type of production system matters more than distance alone — pasture-based operations generate fewer emissions than feedlots.

Your Dollar Makes a Difference

Where you spend your food dollar has real economic impact:

• Just four corporations — Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and National Beef — control 80-85% of the U.S. beef market.
• Ranchers now receive less than 30 cents of every retail beef dollar, down from 70 cents in 1970. When you buy direct from our farm, the majority of your dollar stays with our family.
• Every dollar spent on locally produced food has a multiplier effect of $1.32 to $1.90, generating additional economic activity in your community.
• The U.S. has lost 160,000 farms since 2017. Nearly 17,000 cattle ranchers go out of business each year. Every local purchase helps keep family farms alive.

What is BQA Certification?

The Disney Farm is proudly BQA (Beef Quality Assurance) Certified. BQA is a national program that trains farmers and ranchers on best-practice cattle management to ensure animals and the environment are cared for within a standard set of guidelines.

• Herd health plans following good veterinary and agricultural practices based on scientific research
• Proper cattle handling and transport that minimizes stress, injury, and bruising
• Diligent record-keeping on care and treatment given to each animal
• Low-stress stockmanship techniques based on understanding cattle behavior
• Certification requires recertification every three years to prove ongoing commitment

More than 85% of U.S. beef comes from BQA-certified producers. When a local farm like ours is BQA-certified, it means we meet or exceed the same standards as the largest operations, but with the added transparency of a direct relationship with you.