Why It's Important to Buy Ethically Sourced Meat

Industrially processed meat may still dominate the shelves, but the demand for ethically sourced meat goes up every year. Why? For starters, ethical meat suppliers and farms offer 3 attractive benefits:

• Their food tends to be richer in nutrients for the consumer.
• The animals are reared and processed in a kinder, more humane way.
• Ethical farms (and their processes) are healthier for the environment.

Whether it’s rotational grazing or a primarily natural diet of grass and forage, Augustus Ranch is committed to the ethical farming practices we’ve passed down for five generations. Here are a few of the most significant reasons we stand by the importance of ethically sourced meat.

Healthier Animals = Healthier Meat

Ethically sourced meat promotes environmentally friendly business practices and produces better tasting food, too. Prolonged stress (like the kind experienced by animals in industrialized production) elevates the acidity levels of the meat. Over time, this stress will “begin breaking down the meat, almost as if the body is digesting itself,” creating meat that has a tougher texture and weaker flavor.

Ethical farms and ranches like Augustus reject this process. Instead of keeping animals in feedlots or dirt paddocks, we make sure our cattle have the freedom to forage the land just as they would in the wild. This not only gives the animals a peaceful environment to mature in, but also keeps them active and healthy. The end result? A boost in nutrition and flavor for the meat that arrives on your plate.

Preserving the Environment

Most of the conglomerates that run the food processing industry produce food with little regard for the immediate environmental impact, “especially in terms of soil and water quality, food safety, and animal welfare.” Meanwhile, ethical farms keep their cattle moving via rotational grazing, which helps protect the lifecycle of the soil and the grass it creates by preventing the animals from overgrazing.

Preserving the land is crucial to everything we do at Augustus Ranch. We believe that ethically sourced meat is defined not only by the way we treat our animals but also the ground beneath our feet.

When we take care of the soil, it produces healthier grass and forage. When our animals have healthier grass and forage to eat, they live fuller and happier lives. And when our animals live full and healthy lives, they produce tastier and nutritious meat. It’s a natural cycle that we’re passionate about maintaining, no matter what.

Supporting Local and Ethical Farms

Buying ethically sourced meat will help you to enjoy healthy meals while endorsing ethical farming practices, but neither of those could exist without the farms and ranches that make them a priority.

It’s not easy owning a small, local, or family-owned ranch, especially when so much of the meat production world is owned by corporations that value profits over quality products. An investment in ethically sourced meat is an investment in better, healthier, more sustainable meat production—and the people who have made it their mission.

When you work with Augustus Ranch, you’re working with people who love their animals, love (and live on) the land they work, and love delivering cuts of meat to your door that you can trust. We provide transparency and accountability in everything we do and want to ensure that all our customers know exactly where their food comes from, how it’s made, and why it’s a worthy investment.

If you have any questions about our local meat delivery services, get in touch with us! We would love to hear from you.