MAHA and the Grass Fed Beef Connection.
Let's talk about MAHA for a moment a phrase that has helped dominate headlines for the last few months. It stands for Make America Healthy Again.
You all know that "We the People" have always had the ability to "Make America Healthy Again" right? Just like we have always had the ability to "Make the Land Healthy Again."
And the absolute truth is, we never needed the government or some elected official to make this happen.
No. We have had that power all along.
You see, "making America healthy" is a personal decision. It happens one person or family at a time.
And we make that choice, with our purchases, our voice and our actions.
You heard me right! You choose how healthy you want to be repeatedly throughout the day with the food you eat and how it was produced, the medications you choose to take, the extra curricular activities you take part in, etc.
With few exceptions, most all of the issues we face from a health stand point could be solved if "We the People" would just take a long hard look in the mirror and make the cognizant decision to make our health and that of the land a personal priority, instead of subcontracting it out to someone else.
SO MAHA? The choice is yours...
Now how does this tie into the grass fed beef discussion? Let me share with you my opinion.
There is really only one reason why I started raising grass-fed beef….. Health!
The health of my family, my land, my cattle and my customers.
I started paying attention to soil health, forage quality, marbling, fat, texture, and genetics.
Grass-fed animals travel a different trajectory from their mother's side to the cooler, producing a completely different kind of beef.
Then Farmer John up the road tells me that he would never eat grass-fed meat because grain-fed meat tastes better and has that nice gleaming, white corn fat.
And believe me, Farmer John; I'm getting what you're putting down and we are both kind of stuck in our way’s so a friendly argument ensues.
And that's when I realized… that the answer to our argument was right there all along.
Farmer John is correct in comparing grass-fed beef to grain-fed beef; because we both want different things from our beef, thus the argument is counterproductive. Allow me to explain:
Grain-fed eaters are looking for: Ultra-soft texture, a thick, creamy fat cap, and highly-marbled ribeye’s.
But as consumers we need to understand that what makes a great grass-fed steak isn't what makes a great grain-fed steak.
Because there are different desired outcomes and benefits.
Grass-fed beef is different—and if you know what to look for, it tells a story:
Deep red color? That's higher myoglobin and iron content—better nutrition.
Tighter muscle fibers? That's actual ruminant digestion, not intensely fed calories.
Golden-hued fat? That's omega-3s, beta-carotene, and a reflection of a lifetime on the range and dark-rich soils.
That brings me to something Dr. Allen Williams of Understanding Ag, LLC - Experts in Regenerative Ag recently wrote:
For decades, we've been told that modern agriculture has "fed the world" by producing more food than ever before. The Green Revolution gave us high-yield crops, synthetic fertilizers, and industrial efficiency. But look at the results:
● Soil organic matter down 50% since 1960
● U.S. farmland losing 2 tons of topsoil per acre per year
● Nutrient density in food down 20-50%
● Pesticide use up 150%
● Crop diversity down 75%
● 28% of American teenagers are now diabetic
● 50% of U.S. calories now come from ultra-processed foods
Yes, we're producing more calories than ever. But we're not “Making America Healthy Again”.
Grass-fed beef isn't just "beef without grain." It's a nod to a style of ranching that builds soil, ecosystems, and human health.
As Dr. Allan Williams says, the real question isn't "Can we feed the world?"
It's: "Can we produce food in a way that nourishes us instead of just filling us up?"
So my question is this: Are consumers ready to eat meat when viewed through the grass-fed lens?
Do they truly want to “Make America Healthy Again” or is that just a fancy slogan?
Special thanks to my ranch buddy Rich Bradbury and Dr. Allen Williams for supplying the inspiration and statistics for this blog!
Kevin
