What is the difference between grass fed and grass finished?
Grass fed means the animal was fed solely on grass and hay. Grass finished is a term used to indicate that a beef animal has grown fast enough on the pasture to create inter-muscular marbling. This marbling makes the meat more juicy and flavorful but not more tender. Grass finished animals will typically grade High Select or Low Choice under the USDA Grading System. This finish can be determined with an ultra-sound scan while the animal is still alive. Grass finishing is generally not a problem with lambs as they fatten easily on pasture. Grass finishing is very difficult with bison as wild animals do not tend to produce inter-muscular fat. Bison is typically sold as grass fed. Is grass finishing beef cattle difficult? A grass finish is a combination of the age of the beef animal and its rate of growth. An animal must gain over 1.7 pounds per day to create inter-muscular fat. Achieving this is typically very easy in the spring and early summer. However, summer and fall normally require
