Grassfed Alliance: Coming Together to Promote Authentic Grassfed
Erin Eisenberg
For years, TomKat Ranch has proudly marketed our grassfed beef under the LeftCoast GrassFed™ brand. Our commitment to providing our animals with a 100% grassfed diet, regenerative land management practices, and high animal welfare is verified through on-farm audits by American Grassfed Association and Animal Welfare Approved.
Our journey as certified grassfed producers has led us to develop strong bonds with other grassfed producers throughout the United States. They inspire us to continue to pursue a future where our agricultural working lands and the communities that depend on them are thriving, our ecosystems and climate are in balance, and our animals are healthy and happy. We’ve learned so much about the myriad benefits to people and planet of well-managed grassfed ruminants!
These rancher-to-rancher relationships have led us to the Grassfed Alliance, a new initiative promoting authentic grassfed meat and dairy. The Grassfed Alliance is committed to engaging its broad networks to strategically and enthusiastically support authentic grassfed producers, certifiers, and brands. Grassfed Alliance envisions a marketplace in which big buyers like grocery stores and restaurants fully understand the value of authentic grassfed products. Grassfed Alliance hopes its efforts will lead to a dramatic increase in the market share of authentic grassfed products, beneficial ecosystem outcomes on the ground, improved producer economic viability, and healthier, happier animals and people.
What is Authentic Grassfed? The Grassfed Alliance is committed to the premise that Authentic Grassfed products come from animals raised with:
- A 100% grass or forage-based diet for their entire lives
- The Five Freedoms of basic animal welfare, including freedom from hunger and thirst; from discomfort; from pain, injury or disease; to express normal behavior; and from fear and distress
- No partial grassfed claims
- Continuous access to pasture or rangeland
- No confinement or feedlot finishing
- No drugs when healthy, including antibiotics and hormones, or for non-therapeutic purposes
- Restricted incidental supplementation
- Minimal use of synthetic fertilizers and industrial pesticides
- Transparency of origin, processing, and final product composition
- Third party, on-farm verification on an annual basis
We are thrilled to be part of the Grassfed Alliance’s efforts and look forward to reporting on its progress over the coming months. Anyone who wants to learn more or get involved should email hello@grassfedalliance.org.
