What Our Cattle Eat

We truly believe that cattle are the greatest “upcyclers”. They take land that would not otherwise efficiently grow food, and the byproducts of producing some of our favorite food & drink that would otherwise create waste, and turn it into high quality protein for our diet (beef!).

Here are the ways using marginal land and upcycling plays out at Post 5 Cattle Co:

• We graze our calves on ground that is not suitable for farming during the spring (i.e. too rocky, no water to grow crops)

• In the fall we trade composted manure for a rotational grain or forage crop with a local seed grower.

• In the winter we then graze on stubble (what remains from corn/wheat harvest) fields.

Notice how it looks a little cold and that the crop looks a little 'weathered'? That's because an export hay company needed their timothy hay ground eaten down after the last cutting. Grazing it results in the grass coming back stronger and healthier the next season. The only way they can do this is by stocking cows at a heavier rate and we are happy to provide the cows!

• Summer time the calves spend their time grazing on lush green grass and living the easy life.

• The calves are then "grain-finished" at the feedyard we lease. Because eastern Washington produces such a diversity of crops, we are able to pick and choose what type of by-products we include in our ration. We work with our cattle nutritionist to develop seasonal rations of a variety of crops and byproducts such as:

Silage

Grape Pumice

Apples

Pears

Seeds

Dry Distillers Grains

That's right. Our cattle eat local, seasonal rations and it changes depending on what's available. We are considered a "premier" feedlot in Washington meaning we only feed high quality ingredients and all of our by-products are from whole foods.

During the finishing stage, our cattle are fed for 120 days where they have room to roam and free access to water and feed. The majority of the cattle in the feedlot are custom fed - meaning we don’t own them, other ranchers trust us to get their cattle to slaughter weight in great health and condition.

We value the trust of our customers -- ranchers who have put their heart and soul into raising great calves. We feed their cattle and ours with great care and one goal in mind -- to produce delicious, high quality, healthy beef for you.

Gus gets a handful of the stuff that cattle love to grow on.

#cattlefeeding #beef #sustainability #pnw #pnwisbest

Cattle Health

Healthy cattle produce safe, healthy, high-quality beef. Raising this kind of beef, day after day, year after year is our measure of success. It's our life's work. With experience accumulated by taking care of cattle in one way or another our entire lives, and the passion for continually learning how to do it better, we have high standards for cattle care on our ranch and feedlot.

While there is a lot that goes into taking care of cattle and keeping cattle health a top priority, a couple of topics bubble up in peoples' minds because they perceptively intersect with human health.

On Growth Promoting Hormones

The directly marketed beef available through this site comes from cattle that are not given hormonal implants. This choice simply satisfies some customer preferences so we are happy to offer it.

The majority of the cattle in the feedyard are custom fed - meaning we don’t own them, other ranchers trust us to get their cattle to slaughter weight in great health and condition. Cattle at the feedlot are typically given an FDA-approved, small pelleted implant with a low dose of hormones that allow them to convert feed to lean muscle more efficiently. This has been a common practice, safely in use since the 1950s.

On Antibiotics

Our approach is to do everything that we can to avoid using antibiotics, however antibiotics are a tool in animal health and sometimes a necessity. As caretakers of these animal, we refuse to withhold treatment to be able to claim every animal we raise is “antibiotic free”. We are unwilling to make an animal suffer when antibiotics are the right tool to use. What we can guarantee is that cattle are only treated when necessary and that they are treated under a Veterinarian’s consultation and prescription.

All antibiotics have a strict withdrawal period that must be adhered to before the animal can be harvested. We adhere to these labels (as do all ranchers and feeders) and are legally prohibited from shipping cattle to harvest prior to the label directed withdrawal period. This guarantees that there are no antibiotic residues in beef.

Preventing Animal Disease

Preventative measures range such as keeping pens, water, and feed clean. We also practice low stress handling techniques that help keep the cattle as calm and comfortable as possible. We take classes on it and have our employees trained by experts in the field. These low stress handling techniques range from using only cowboys on horseback to check the cattle each day, to attending seminars on “reading” cattle so that we read their body language to tell us how they are feeling.

The cattle at Post 5 Cattle Co. are managed and cared for by us personally and the help of just a few employees. Our daily goal is to do the right thing for the animals, our customers and everyone who eats beef. We are passionate about raising beef cattle and it’s our goal that it is apparent in our operations and the product 100 percent of the time.

Cattle can get sick. Under our care with veterinary consultation, we may treat them with an FDA approved antibiotic. Treatment is recorded and cattle are never slaughtered prior to the specific withdrawal period of the antibiotic given. At that point, the antibiotic is out of the animal's system, and there is no antibiotic residue in the meat. Beef from the cattle that are treated is 100% safe to eat.

#abx #cattlehealth #sustainability

Environmental Sustainability and Stewardship

Sustainability isn't a label to slap on a package of beef.

Sustainability and environmental stewardship looks different on every single farm or ranch you may visit. It's less about one definition than a philosophy. And philosophically, we strive to raise beef sustainably, which really means we raise beef responsibly.

When it comes to being responsible with the environment and natural resources involved in raising beef cattle, aside from the actual health and wellbeing of the cattle we care for, it's our main priority.

We use the combination of our education, experience, and the mentality that we are in this for the long haul to inform our stewardship of land and water resources. Some basic tenants of raising beef responsibly are:

We believe cattle can improve the soil under their feet. I (Nicole) have the opportunity to visit farms all over eastern Washington and see different practices in my work as an organic inspector and consultant. It's conducting these audits where I see firsthand how beneficial cattle can be for the environment -- putting much more back into the soil than they take out via grazing and how if you focus on taking care of the ground, the ground will take care of your cattle.

This isn't just anecdotal. It's science. We strive for holistic management of our ranch, which takes into account everything that matters: the health of our animals, the land, and financial viability. Learn more about the science of holistic management from the Savory Institute.

We are living and raising cattle in an exciting time where research and experience tells us so much about taking care of the land. We are all about putting these best practices to work, and raising up the next generation of thoughtful stewards of animals and natural resources.

We believe cattle are the greatest upcyclers/recyclers. Upcycling involves taking a marginal resource and turning it into something more valuable. Here's how:

Mother cows and their calves can graze what remains after the harvest of just about any crop you can think of. With some temporary fencing, a crop field that's been harvested can become winter sustenance for cows and calves, and the manure they deposit while grazing crop stubble puts nutrients back into the soil that are needed to grow the next healthy crop. Cows diminish the farm's need to use synthetic fertilizers, and make the ground productive in the winter when it would otherwise not produce anything or be completely disced under and left bare over the season.

Steers and heifers that move on from pasture to our feedyard consume a ration (mixture of feeds that provide the appropriate nutrition cattle need to healthily gain weight) that is composed of feeds that are grown for cattle, as well as feedstuffs that are leftovers, or byproducts of food production. Whenever a crop is processed for human consumption, there is a byproduct of some kind. There are dry or wet byproducts from every process - you name it -- from brewing beer to peeling apples and making wine. To the processor, it's a waste product that needs to be disposed of. To cattle and cattle feeders, it's an opportunity to recycle the product into the ration cattle need, and upcycle it ultimately into high quality beef protein.

I mean, come on, cows are amazing! Cattle take everything from pretty low-quality forage hays that can grow many places that aren't even irrigated (and vegetables certainly wouldn't grow) to the leftovers from distilling booze, and turn it into beef. These are just a few ways, in addition to protecting land from development and reducing fire danger, that cattle make our entire food system more environmentally sustainable.

Sustainability is...building a farm that will be here if these little cow pokes want to continue it. Wasting resources and overusing land and water will not get that job done. We know that, and work everyday to steward our part of this world to see to it that it provides a livelihood and food for generations of families to come.

#sustainability #beefsustainability