Lately there's a demand for locally produced food that's not only healthy...but benefits the economy as well.
And there's a farm in Alabama that does just that.
It's raising the only nutritious beef product using all Alabama resources.
On this quiet farm in Alabama, the mood of the cow is key to a healthy side of beef. But there's a lot more that goes into producing a quality product than meets the eye.
Melissa Boutwell, owner, Boutwell Farms says, “because it's raised in it's natural environment it doesn't go to a feed lot it doesn't have a lot of the hormones and the byproducts that it gets when it goes to a feed lot. Significantly less chance for e-coli: a BIG value. One of the greatest causes of an e-coli surge is the volume of grain and starchy sugars cows are fed in the feed lot. This causes the bacteria to grow in their stomachs. Because they are confined, they stand in the manure with e-coli and it gets on the outside of them as well.”
At Boutwell Farms, several factors contribute to serving up a juicy, tender healthy steak:
One is healthy grazing....feeding cows vitamins and providing fresh pastures....right down to the type of grass.
Melissa Boutwell, says, “so in the summertime we have a mixture of Bahaya, Bermuda grass and crab grass all here for them for that season. So a salad bar for cows?....yes.”
Another factor is low stress...a relaxed cow produces a higher quality meat. It's all in the handling.
Britt Boutwell, a farmer, says "I talk to them, I walk up easy to them and they're used to me because I come the same time every morning, so when I go up they come up, I talk to them, I pet on them and they're used to it."
Each cow is tested for stress.... of course.....not in the same way humans are tested for stress, You won't find a cow on a treadmill here. Instead, farmers check for quiet, calm cows. Stress alters the ph levels in a cow which degrades flavor and toughens the meat.
“You better not be a mean rowdy cow on Boutwell Farms or you'll be quickly on a hamburger plate,” said Melissa Boutwell.
A low stress cow with a very healthy diet produces a product that helps reduce the instances of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Melissa Boutwell, says, “we know from scientific testing that it has about 200% more CLA (conjugated linolic acid) which is one of the most important cancer fighting nutrients, 75% more vitamin E (fat soluable), 60% more Omega 3 fatty acids, 1/3 less cholesterol and it has less fat.
So, how can you tell what type of meat a cow will produce? To most folks all cows look the same on the outside but there's a secret to knowing what they're like on the inside.
Ultrasound helps determine whether a cow is a steak or a hamburger cow. Each cow gets a little shave and a scan. The technician looks for distribution of fat, or marbling.
Jason Edmondson of J-M Cattle Services, LLC says, “mainly what we look for are the hyperacoic areas or what commonly is called the white image. The whiter the image the more inter-muscular fat there is and the better quality steak."
Ultrasound also helps farmers know what size of cut the cow will produce which is an important detail restaurant chef's want to know. A lot of dark or thick bands of white....mean a cow will eventually be sandwiched into a bun.
So while you might not see a smile on this face.....the flavor and nutrition of this homegrown beef just may put a smile.....on your face.
Boutwell Farms is the only beef supplier of Lulu's in Gulf Shores, which is the largest restaurant in Alabama.
They serve close to 100-thousand hamburgers a year.
If you’d like more information on Boutwell Farms, you can log onto their website, www.boutwellfarms.com.