Answer:

Our family’s approach to beef is different than the common cow-calf producers. We take pride in raising our Angus sired calves to harvest and supplying our customers with ethically raised, highly nutritional, 100% pure grass-fed and grass-finished beef. When you choose to purchase beef from Benson Farms, you will have peace of mind knowing that you are feeding your family quality meat from a single animal that was born and raised on a local farm.

Due to the seasonal nature of calving, we offer our pre-sales twice a year. When placing a deposit on one of our beef, you are buying a portion of that cow. We will then grow that animal out to maturity and deliver it for processing. However, our service to our customers doesn’t end there. We then go above and beyond to provide added value for our customers by managing the entire processing to ensure strict quality guidelines, pick up your beef from processing, package your beef in special boxes, provide shipping so that your premium beef is conveniently delivered direct to your door.

For our customers who are interested in gaining a more in-depth look at where their meat is being produced, we also offer the option for pick up at our farm on designated weekends.

Answer:

Grass-fed beef refers to cattle that primarily feed on native and other natural grasses and/or hay for their entire lives. We provide our cattle with a low stress environment where they are free to express their natural and instinctive behaviors.

Answer :
Yes it is! Our cattle spend their entire lives grazing on pasture up to the point of harvesting. Our cattle are never confined for feeding. Because our 100% grass-fed cattle don't get the blast of grain-heavy feed at the end of their lives, they tend to gain weight slower and take longer to fully mature for sale. We provide our cattle with a low stress environment where they are free to express their natural and instinctive behaviors. Our cows are typically processed around the age of 24 months.

Answer :
Absolutely! All the beef we market is born and raised on our farm on Merrill Mountain in Marshall County, Alabama or sourced from nearby neighboring farms and locally processed by our USDA certified artisan butcher.

Answer :

Our cows are raised on open pastures as nature intended. They are never confined in pens.

Most beef found in grocery stores is fed a significant amount of corn, and other grain. Cattle may be given growth hormones to fatten the animals quickly with higher yields. Approximately 95% of U.S. cattle are grain-finished to increase the animal’s weight. They spend the last 5 to 6 months of their lives confined to feeding lots with thousands of other cattle, and are often dosed with antibiotics in an effort to prevent infections from unnatural diet and unsanitary conditions.

Answer :

The obvious answer is that, unlike most meat found in grocery stores, our cattle are never given growth hormones and antibiotics, so you aren't getting those things in your meat.

Because pure grass-fed cattle live on pastures and eat grass for their entire lives, instead of being fattened on feed lots, the beef is leaner. The difference in diet results in differences in the chemical composition and nutritional content of grass-fed and grain-fed beef. Grass fed beef has more antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K), less cholesterol and is rich in Omega-3s. Our beef is 100% all natural and raised with no hormones, GMOs or artificial additives.

Recent research performed by Dr. Stephan Van Vliet, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences, Utah State University, and the Bionutrient Food Association, found that grass-finishing concentrates significantly higher amounts of phytochemicals, including polyphenols, tocopherols, carotenoids. Phytonutrients have been shown to play a role in preventing and managing chronic diseases, such as cancer (Choudhari et al., 2020), coronary heart disease (Ismaeel et al., 2021), diabetes (Cao et al., 2019), high blood pressure (Fraga et al., 2019), inflammation (Zhang et al., 2019), microbial, viral and parasitic infections (Yin et al., 2019), and neurological disease (Uddin et al., 2020). Grass-fed meat often exhibits a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, which has been linked with reduced risk of heart disease (van Vliet et al., 2021). Additionally, beneficial long chain saturated fatty acids associated with decreased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease are 2 to 3 times higher in beef finished on grass and triacylglycerols were lower.

Answer :
We will pick your beef up at the processor when it is ready, package it, and ship it to your door. Your grass-finished beef is shipped frozen and we supply industry leading insulated boxes and include enough dry ice and cold packs to ensure it stays that way! We will typically ship on Mondays and you will generally receive your beef on Wednesday. This service is included with your bulk beef purchase.

Answer :
We currently ship our premium beef throughout the contiguous United States. If you live outside our delivery area and are interested in purchasing bulk beef, please send us an email to orders@bensonfarmsal.com or give us a call.

Answer :
Due to the seasonal nature of calving, we process twice a year. Spring orders are typically fulfilled in May and June. Fall orders are generally fulfilled in late October and early November. Once you place a deposit on one of our beef, we will provide you with periodic updates. As the processing date approaches, we will keep you notified as scheduling dates are verified with the processor.

Answer :
Yes, because grass-finished beef is a leaner meat. When browning grass-finished ground beef, you will have the best results by reducing the cooking temperature. Also, it is best to use medium heat and reduce the cooking time by about 30% when grilling or pan-frying burgers or chopped steaks. Grass-finished steak is best enjoyed if cooked no more than medium. It is important to be very mindful when cooking lean meats and avoid overcooking, since lean meats will toughen up faster. To make grass-finished steaks more tender, consider using acidic marinades. We recommend always using a quality meat thermometer for best results cooking grass-finished beef.