Cows are herd animals that are happiest when they can roam and graze. The vast majority of beef produced in the United States these days comes from feedlots where the animals are kept in pens and fed grain meant to add weight to them quickly. Our animals are on pasture their whole lives, which makes for happy and naturally well-fed animals. Our beef is downright delicious!

The honest answer is: it depends. Cattle produce lots of methane gas as they digest their food, which contributes a significant amount to global warming and climate change. However, they also play a crucial role in the creation of healthy topsoil, which is an even more important element in the fight against climate change. Cows are herd animals, and if they are managed using a technique called intensive-grazing they mimic what the native bison did for the American soil for millennia.

In an intensive-grazing system the herd is kept in a small area of pasture for a short time in order to graze it down completely and then moved quickly to a new area of pasture. The animals add lots of biological material to the area and they crush plant residue down into the soil surface, which protects it from evaporation and erosion. Lastly, the plants themselves respond to the stress of being grazed by putting a ton of energy into new growth, both above and below the soil surface. The pasture will then be left alone and allowed to completely regrow before the herd returns.

Here on the Linn Ranch we utilize temporary electric fences in the summer months to move our animals around and graze different parts of the ranch.

If you'd like to learn more about the role of animal grazing in building healthy soil, we highly recommend the book Dirt To Soil  by Gabe Brown.

Please call us at 307-690-3751 or send an email to beef@linnranch.com to arrange your pickup time. The pickup location for beef shares is 3900 Linn Drive.

A 30lb share is roughly the size of a medium sack of potatoes. It will take up about half the space inside a standard-size refrigerator freezer. If a 30lb share is more than you need we suggest splitting with a friend!