This past weekend, Brooke & I visited Morris Grassfed Ranch for their spring field day. It was such an incredible day, the weather was perfect, the ranch was beautiful, & the grassfed burgers were delicious!
It was really cool meeting Joe Morris – the rancher. I kept telling Brooke, this man is a scientist – I don’t think by training, but definitely in his level of knowledge. He took us for a tour of the ranch & explained grassfed production, particularly in relation to his ranch. He taught us about the cattle, land management, & the ecological benefits of grassfed ranching. He is so passionate, dedicated, & connected to what he does. I believe in Joe’s philosophy (I like to think of it as more of a science) on ranching, & I trust him as a rancher. As a consumer, I really like knowing exactly where my food came from, & not having to wonder about the harmful effects it may have on my body or on the environment. For us to move away from grain-raised feedlot meat, we need to make more responsible choices as consumers. We need to choose food that was raised with integrity & we need to support ranches like Morris that work with integrity.
At one point during the ranch tour, Joe explained his philosophy on eating meat. I am going to try my best to paraphrase it here … but most likely I am going to butcher the words he shared so eloquently. Joe explained that animals don’t fear death like us. He doesn’t believe that there is any thing wrong with us consuming them, they provide nourishment for our bodies, and essentially become a part of us. What is important is that they live an honorable & respectful life.
I definitely want to eat meat raised, cared for & managed by Joe Morris. We are looking very forward to joining the Morris CSA this season. Click here for more info about the ranch & about ordering.
How beautiful is this place?
Many people falsely assume that cows spend their lives in picturesque meadows, like the photos above. The reality is that the vast majority of cattle in the US spend a significant portion of their lives in overcrowded feedlots, eating corn. Since they are confined to such unnatural habitats, consuming foods that are not what they are meant to eat, they often get sick & are routinely treated with antibiotics. In turn, increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance in humans.
So, buy grassfed whenever possible & get to know your rancher, if you ever have the opportunity!
wow… so awesome you guys got to go there! i love this… reading things like this makes me want to buy from ranchers like this. great post arsy!
What a beautiful place!
Hi, found your blog through Morris. We went there, too. Our second visit to the ranch. I just started Paleo 3 weeks ago, found out through a dear friend up in OR.
Still struggling every now and then, still cheating every now and then 🙁
But getting better…
I sure will check back here!
Hi Pat! I wish we had the opportunity to talk paleo @ the field day! If you ever have any questions, feel free to email me. I have been eating this way for about 2 years now, & I definitely struggled in the beginning.
Bronwen/Taryn – It was beautiful & really an awesome experience … I highly recommend visiting a local ranch, if you ever have the opportunity!
Great post Arsy! I gotta say you’ve inspired me to do 100% strict Paleo for 30 days. I always eat “mostly paleo” but do things like cream in coffee, cheese on salad, etc. But no more. I’m on day two and feeling great already. Thanks for being an inspiration.
Does Morris sell whole cows?
Jocelyn – That is awesome! You just made my day! Yes, Morris sells 1/4, 1/2, & whole (i think) cows. We eat so much beef, so I would love to buy a whole cow, but we don’t have the freezer space for it, so we are going to go the CSA route. You should check out their site, I think the pickup is scheduled for June.