Well, we visited the ranch that we got the beef from last year and from which we are buying a whole animal this year. Here's a picture of our beef cow:
We actually did name it a pretty appropriate name. I hesitate to use it because its a nice name and not "Dinner". Four comes from the ear tag, its a red Angus. The yellow of the tag means that it will finish putting on its weight in August. The rancher buys the cattle at about 12 - 14 months and they eat the pasture and native grass exclusively.
We visited outside of Yakima, in the shadow of Mount Adams.
Most of the acreage is pasture. The rancher has a lot of interest in developing a mixed grass and native plant pasture,
including some exotics called winterfat (in the picture, the bluish green strip exactly in the center background), an important plant that is rich in protein and which comes into its own in the fall and late fall.
but some is wetland that rancher is also trying to rehabilitate.
But it wasn't all biology - I tried a few artistic shots.
and got a good sunset shot.
red four
June 15th, 2010 at 04:06 am
June 15th, 2010 at 04:52 am 1276577575
not saying this is a bad thing! (sorry, tones don't come out well in print...) I do actually admire that YOU do. My dad has been a vegetarian since 16, and he tends to think if you eat meat, you should be able to grow it, slaughter it and then eat it, and I do kind of agree. i know you're not slaughtering it but seeing it on the farm running around and then accepting it's going to be on your stove at some point is pretty dang close. kudos to you for that
June 15th, 2010 at 12:53 pm 1276606401
June 15th, 2010 at 01:27 pm 1276608422
I like the pictures!
June 16th, 2010 at 04:57 am 1276664245