R & B Farm
A special place in Michigan's southern peninsula where the best green pastures are converted by contented beef cattle into frozen meat for the eating pleasure of discriminating people. Our customers want a high quality product that is free from artificial chemicals, that has been humanely handled from birth to processing, and that has been produced in Michigan at a place they can actually come and see.
Founded in 2005 by Dick and Bev Divelbiss, the farm specializes in grass-fed and grass-finished Belted Galloway beef cattle. Belties are an heritage breed from Southwestern Scotland that has been around for more than 700 years. Their centuries of adaptation to the rugged terrain and the North Sea's influence make them specially fit for Michigan's winter climate.
The actual process we use to raise and finish our animals is driven by holistic concepts and our desire to be good stewards of the environment.
At R & B Farm we mimic the conditions that cattle lived in before farmers and fences. Herds of bison and cattle used to migrate to greener pastures. We move our cows from pasture to pasture so they always have the freshest and best possible forage. This also minimizes disease and insect problems. The reproduction cycle matches the native whitetail deer. Calves are born when grass growth is at its peak and wild predator problems are low. Clean, lush pastures are Nature's best birthing rooms; almost eliminating calf diseases and other postnatal problems.
We do our best to stay out of Mother Nature's way in this process by avoiding the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and other agricultural chemicals. Also, our cattle don't get growth hormones or the unneeded antibiotics that most beef cattle raised in confinement get in their daily ration of grain or feed supplements.
Our pasture production and livestock management processes are verified as environmentally safe by the U.S. Soil and Water Conservation Service and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Our farm is also pending national certification as producing naturally grown meat.
Some Farm Management Details
Rotational Grazing. Our pasture land is divided into more than 25 small paddocks. Moving the herd from paddock to paddock mimics natural herd migration movements. This reduces pest and parasite problems, prevents overgrazing, and helps maintain the health of the pasture plants.
Tailored Pasture Plant Blends. We work to maintain a blend of grasses, legumes, and naturally occurring wild plants with several goals in mind:
(1) To provide plant mixes that yield maximum nutrients through all four seasons.
(2) To maximize the conversion of solar energy into grass.
(3) To provide a natural diet that maintains an efficient reproductive cycle in our brood cows.
(4) To achieve a healthy growth rate from birth to market weight without artificial stimulation.
Humane Animal Handling. Less stress means healthier cattle and better growth rates. We use techniques and systems developed and tested by international expert Dr. Temple Grandin.
The Skinny on Fats
Lower total fat content is not the only difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef. The composition of the fats and minerals in the meat is also significantly altered.
A 2009 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Clemson University scientists found 10 human health advantages of grass-fed over grain-fed beef:
1. Lower total fat
2. Higher beta-carotene
3. Higher Vitamin E levels
4. Higher levels of the B vitamins thiamine and riboflavin
5. Higher levels of calcium, magnesium, and potassium
6. Higher in total Omega-3 fatty acids
7. Healthier ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
8. Higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (a potential cancer fighter)
9. Higher in vaccenic acid (the body can convert this into CLA)
10. Lower in saturated fats linked to heart disease.
A special place in Michigan's southern peninsula where the best green pastures are converted by contented beef cattle into frozen meat for the eating pleasure of discriminating people. Our customers want a high quality product that is free from artificial chemicals, that has been humanely handled from birth to processing, and that has been produced in Michigan at a place they can actually come and see.
Founded in 2005 by Dick and Bev Divelbiss, the farm specializes in grass-fed and grass-finished Belted Galloway beef cattle. Belties are an heritage breed from Southwestern Scotland that has been around for more than 700 years. Their centuries of adaptation to the rugged terrain and the North Sea's influence make them specially fit for Michigan's winter climate.
The actual process we use to raise and finish our animals is driven by holistic concepts and our desire to be good stewards of the environment.
At R & B Farm we mimic the conditions that cattle lived in before farmers and fences. Herds of bison and cattle used to migrate to greener pastures. We move our cows from pasture to pasture so they always have the freshest and best possible forage. This also minimizes disease and insect problems. The reproduction cycle matches the native whitetail deer. Calves are born when grass growth is at its peak and wild predator problems are low. Clean, lush pastures are Nature's best birthing rooms; almost eliminating calf diseases and other postnatal problems.
We do our best to stay out of Mother Nature's way in this process by avoiding the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and other agricultural chemicals. Also, our cattle don't get growth hormones or the unneeded antibiotics that most beef cattle raised in confinement get in their daily ration of grain or feed supplements.
Our pasture production and livestock management processes are verified as environmentally safe by the U.S. Soil and Water Conservation Service and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Our farm is also pending national certification as producing naturally grown meat.
Some Farm Management Details
Rotational Grazing. Our pasture land is divided into more than 25 small paddocks. Moving the herd from paddock to paddock mimics natural herd migration movements. This reduces pest and parasite problems, prevents overgrazing, and helps maintain the health of the pasture plants.
Tailored Pasture Plant Blends. We work to maintain a blend of grasses, legumes, and naturally occurring wild plants with several goals in mind:
(1) To provide plant mixes that yield maximum nutrients through all four seasons.
(2) To maximize the conversion of solar energy into grass.
(3) To provide a natural diet that maintains an efficient reproductive cycle in our brood cows.
(4) To achieve a healthy growth rate from birth to market weight without artificial stimulation.
Humane Animal Handling. Less stress means healthier cattle and better growth rates. We use techniques and systems developed and tested by international expert Dr. Temple Grandin.
The Skinny on Fats
Lower total fat content is not the only difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef. The composition of the fats and minerals in the meat is also significantly altered.
A 2009 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Clemson University scientists found 10 human health advantages of grass-fed over grain-fed beef:
1. Lower total fat
2. Higher beta-carotene
3. Higher Vitamin E levels
4. Higher levels of the B vitamins thiamine and riboflavin
5. Higher levels of calcium, magnesium, and potassium
6. Higher in total Omega-3 fatty acids
7. Healthier ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
8. Higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (a potential cancer fighter)
9. Higher in vaccenic acid (the body can convert this into CLA)
10. Lower in saturated fats linked to heart disease.