Pittsburgher Highland Farm

Highland Cattle – More Than a Pretty Face…

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Scottish Highland cattle have been around for a very long time and are prevalent in small and large herds throughout the United States and the word. We at Pittsburgher Highland Farm (PHF) started raising them in 2008, and they remain the central focus of what we do.

These furry creatures have attracted new and increased attention lately, as evidenced by the number of inquiries we’ve received about farm tours and purchasing live animals. We’re not sure what it’s all about, but the interest in Highlands seems to have been driven in part by COVID and the subsequent want of many folks to make better use of land and perhaps raise more of their own food. Highlands can help with both.

The breed itself evolved around the sixth century in the highland areas of Scotland as well as the islands off their west coast. The predominantly red (more akin to the mountains of Scotland) and black (more common on the islands) varieties adapted well to the often extreme weather conditions, challenging terrain, and relatively limited natural forages. The result of their evolution is exhibited by distinctive features generally not seen in other breeds of cattle like long hair and long horns.

Heritage Breed

Highland cattle are one of a handful of “heritage” breeds, defined loosely by the Livestock Conservancy as those that have maintained their original genetic characteristics over of long history in the U.S. Numerous breeds have been genetically manipulated, especially in the U.S., to make them produce beef and milk more efficiently. This is most true of black Angus for beef and Holsteins for milk. Angus have been bred to gain weight quickly, especially when exposed to feedlot conditions and a grain-based diet, making them by far the most popular beef production breed in the U.S. Similarly Holsteins have been bred to maximize milk production.

John Ligo of Li Terra Farms in Grove City PA has crossbred Highlands and Angus cattle for many years and describes the defining difference between the two like this: “Angus have been bred to be the cattle that the commodity beef markets demand while Highlands are the same cattle that they’ve always been.” Highlands are, in fact, the ultimate heritage breed, as little about them has changed over hundreds of years.

Built Tough

Everything that is advantageous about Highland cattle can be largely attributed to their development among the often harsh weather conditions, challenging topography, and limited and lower quality forages of the mountains and islands of northern Scotland. Here they learned the hard way how to survive and thrive, becoming excellent foragers (consumers of grass and legumes) and browsers (eaters of brush and brows). While at PHF we hardly force our cattle to survive on poor quality forages (quite the opposite, actually), it is a given that the Highland breed is more adept at maintenance on fewer and lower quality goodies if necessary. It’s just one of the traits that made them attractive to us when starting our herd, especially since our farm at the time was badly overgrown with invasive brush and brows. It would be an exaggeration to suggest that they eventually made the place look like a golf course (never the goal anyway), they did clear numerous areas over time for the establishment of better-quality pastures, forbs, and even better species of trees. We’ll discuss those trees in a later blog.

The harsh conditions and limited food sources available to this breed eventually made them an efficient source of food and drink to the hardy folks that domesticated them. Highland cattle to this day have proven their ability to turn less food (grass and hay) into tender, lean, and flavorful beef. Studies at both the University of Glasgow and, later, at the University of Missouri have confirmed through lab tests that Highland beef on average is more tender than commercial beef while higher in protein and iron and containing less cholesterol and fat. More beef using less feed is a beef producer’s dream. Healthier beef at competitive prices is a consumer’s dream. How lucky are we to have stumbled onto this unique critter!?

It further stands to reason that Highlands adapted to be a far hardier breed than most others, requiring less inputs (expensive feedstock, veterinary care, and shelter) than most other breeds. While all cattle were once this hardy, many breeds have been so tempered by genetic manipulation over time that their survival instincts have nearly disappeared. Not so the Highlands. We’re pretty sure that if people disappeared tomorrow from the planet, Highland cattle would eventually bust out of their domestic confines and find a way to survive. Rarely have we needed to call a vet or assist mamas with calving, and never have our cattle cared for the shelter of a barn or shed over their own instincts to guard against extreme weather conditions. That observation has convinced me that barns and other shelters, often a confined space rife with mud, manure, and parasites, have been created for our own convenience more than for the animals.

Performance

Data collected by the American Highland Cattle Association (AHCA) indicates that average birth weights among Highland cattle is 65 to 70 pounds, slightly less than most other breeds, with 98% of calvings recorded being unassisted. This means that no human help, including that of a veterinarian, was needed. Having grown up among Holsteins bred to be especially large, I lost count a long time ago the number of times we had to assist mamas giving birth or even call a vet to help.

While all cattle can exhibit “flighty” or even wild traits, Highlands are known to be docile when compared to other breeds. AHCA has collected data that indicates 80% of Highlands studied scoring as “exceptionally calm” or “calm” when handled. This makes life much easier for humans and animals alike. We believe  that keeping our animals happy and adequately fed helps make them more relaxed and docile. I can honestly say that the only flighty or even nasty Highlands we’ve encountered over the years at PHF have been raised elsewhere and introduced as adults to our operation. We promptly cull such critters from the herd.

Great on Grass

All cattle are ruminants meant to live on a green diet of grass, legumes and forbs. Food industrialization, largely an American invention, has changed that in a big way, with about 95% of cattle produced here raised on corn and grain. A return to grass-fed beef on the part of many consumers has created a niche market for growers like us, and Highland cattle might just be the best breed to help meet the demands of that market.

Since cattle were always meant to eat grass, and Highlands have changed little in their evolution, it stands to reason that they are a good choice for those farmers aspiring to a truly grass-fed operation. While commodity breeds like Angus and Herefords have been bred to adapt better to feedlot conditions, Highlands have maintained the hardiness, resilience, efficiency, and intelligence to convert a diet of grass and legumes into beef proven more tender and tastier than most.

Perhaps even better, they generally do it while eating less than other breeds. While I have no particular science or statistics to prove it, interviews with growers of both Highlands and Angus (there are many) have indicated that Highlands will consume far less grass and hay and even grain rations when so exposed than their commodity contemporaries. This is huge when considering the economics of beef production. Even though Highlands are likely to grow more slowly and reach lesser weights than the enhanced commodity breeds, it still appears that their rate of efficiency – conversion of feed to beef – is better than those breeds.

A prospective grower once described Highlands to me as “cattle for dummies.” He wasn’t really disparaging anyone, but using a metaphor to indicate how easy it is to raise Highland cattle. Provide them with a little TLC and they will do most of the work.

Quality Highland Beef (QHB)

A lengthy study completed by University of Missouri Meat Science Professor Dr. Bryon Wiegand indicated that Highland beef, while generally indistinguishable from beef produced by other breeds, did exhibit generally lower fat content and less marbling while maintaining and even exceeding tenderness. These results were determined via Warner-Bratzler shear force testing of several beef samples. Dr. Wiegand concluded that “Highland cattle will continue to serve many niche markets as some consumers seek heritage-type meat sources in smaller portion sizes.” Upon completion of this extensive study, AHCA developed a set of standards for interested member growers seeking to produce and market high quality beef. The QHB program recognizes Highlands that are raised in a humane manner without any added hormones, anabolic steroids or sub-therapeutic feed antibiotics. They can in turn utilize the QHB logo and promotional materials when promoting their products. PHF is a proud QHB member and pioneering farm. We also contributed samples to the University of Missouri study.

Cross Breeding

Wiegand also indicated upon completion of his study that Highlands’ unique features such as longevity and hardiness make them good candidates to crossbreed with other larger cattle, and that such a practice might result in a larger frame and faster rate of growth than with purebreds. Given the nature of our PHF customer base, a largely urban audience seeking smaller cuts, we have been pleased with the smaller frames of Highland cattle but were very open to a faster rate of growth. We decided to try crossing our Highlands with another breed. While seeking an ideal breed with which to cross our furry friends, we immediately ruled out the larger commodity breeds like Angus and Herefords and focused on other heritage breeds. Finding a quality sire without spending a lot on transport also factored into our decision. There are some reputable breeders of quality Devon cattle in southwestern Pennsylvania, and we were able to purchase a bull named Keystone Calvin and introduce him to the herd in 2018. Devons are an old English breed introduced to America by the Pilgrims 400 years ago. George Washington was a grower of Devon cattle, and a herd is maintained at Mount Vernon to this day. Calvin was a gem, and the results were exactly as we’d hoped. Growth rates, challenging enough when raising cattle on grass and hay alone, increased and we were able to reduce our average butcher age from 30-36 months to 22-26 months, often the difference between feeding hay for a single winter instead of two.

Numerous colleagues crossbreed Highlands with Angus, Devons, Shorthorns, and Herefords, among others. John Ligo has said that Highland genetics make his Highland-Angus cross “smarter.” Others have indicated better docility and hardiness. Scottish Highland cattle, quite the specimen on their own, can actually improve other breeds.

Fit for Royalty

It probably comes as no surprise that the English royal family maintains a herd of Highland cattle at their Balmoral estate in Scotland. It had been rumored that the late Queen Elizabeth II would only eat grass-fed Highland beef. No wonder!

Highlands are indeed a picturesque animal, and few guests visit Pittsburgher Highland Farm without snapping some pics. We offer tours scheduled in advance on Sunday afternoons year-round, although we recommend spring, summer, and fall visits for better weather and terrain as well as the prevalence of calves (we look for calves in April and May). Add some Katadyn sheep and some free-ranging poultry as well as pastured pigs and you’re sure to spot something of interest at the farm. Further, it is a big part of our mission to let folks see more about sustainable farming and food sourcing. Contact us to schedule a visit.

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Fast Food Nation

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Eric Schlosser published the groundbreaking book, Fast Food Nation in 2001, in which he explored in depth the history of fast food as an industry and culture in America and beyond. The second half of the same work detailed the inner workings of the fast-food industry and its subsequent effects on health, labor, agriculture and food processing. Schlosser published a revised edition in 2012 that included a look back at the ten years of reaction to his initial work and steps taken to mitigate the negative impacts of the industry. Fast Food Nation is a must read for anyone seeking healthy alternatives to that offered by the American made industrial food complex, a complex initiated post World War II by the advent of fast food. You will likely never consume fast food again and, perhaps more important, you won’t allow your children to do so.

Fast food had its beginnings during World War II primarily in California, where fast growing defense manufacturing concerns rapidly employed millions seeking a quick lunch. Carl N. Karcher was an early pioneer in fast food and would go on post-war to create the Carl’s Jr chain. Other early entries included the McDonalds brothers in San Barnardino. Post-war America seemed to take on a faster pace than pre-war America, giving rapid rise to faster means of transport (cars and jet planes quickly replaced trains and horses), communication (Televisions and eventually personal computers and smartphones replaced radios and similar devices), and, of course, food (TV dinners replaced home-cooked meals and fast-food restaurants replaced many sit-down family style establishments). A scene indicative of this metamorphosis from the 1994 hit movie The Shawshank Redemption features an elderly and recently paroled prisoner trying to cope with life on the outside after decades of incarceration. The old fellow has a lot to say about it all, most notably that while he was on the “inside, the world went and got itself in a damn big hurry.” He deals with it by hanging himself.

Drastic reaction to drastic change for sure, but we all know that life in the fast-paced modern world can be pretty stressful. It’s not a bad idea to step back and slow down now and then to reflect on that, including the way we produce, distribute and consume our food.

Like most Americans, especially younger ones, I enjoyed fast food. The first McDonalds opened near my hometown when I was in high school. It was trendy to hang out there on weekends and all the cool kids did (I really wasn’t that cool). When I went to college, I found a town that featured not only McDonalds, but also Wendys, Burger King, Arby’s and Roy Rogers. Wow. I didn’t give it much thought then, but these chains really knew how to locate near and cultivate their best customers. It wasn’t until reaching my mid-thirties that I began to pay close attention to what I was eating, and my focus then was primarily health driven. I was looking for healthier food choices both at home and when dining out. Fortunately, I had been raised by my grandparents in a household that generally featured home-cooked meals made mostly from stuff my family raised. I’m pretty sure I didn’t know what “fast” food was until that McDonalds opened. What I didn’t realize until much later was that most kids my age and younger had not grown up that way, and that fast-food culture had largely replaced slower paced traditional family meals in many households and restaurants in America and beyond.

This post war phenomenon begat a new way of food production distribution and sales the likes of which the world had never seen. Self sufficient family farms gradually gave way to large scale farms specializing in high production monoculture livestock and crops. Local buyers’ cooperatives gave way to larger and more efficient feedlots and crop processing facilities generally owned by multinational companies with access to world markets and distribution. The evolution of trucking accommodated by interstate highways meant that food grown on large farms in California could be processed and shipped to markets hundreds and thousands of miles away. Supermarkets replaced corner grocers and general stores giving consumers a wide variety of choices. Farmers who once grew nearly all that they and their families consumed now specialized in specific crops or livestock and sold their products in large volume into commodity markets for processing and distribution worlds away from their own soil and joined other consumers at the supermarket to buy what they used to grow themselves.  As a kid I watched my dad ship milk to the local processing plant and truck cattle to auction while my grandmother shopped for butter, cheese and ground beef!

All the while food prices for consumers remained in check with inflation while farmers earned less for what they actually sold into the system at its origin, leaving little choice but to “get big or get out.” That was exactly what USDA Secretary Earl Butz advised farmers to do in the early 1970s. Consumers demanded and got their food fast, cheap and convenient. Meanwhile, farmers got the shaft, and still do. Mega corporations like McDonald’s and their friends demand cheap goods from commodity giants like Cargill and Tyson who in turn demand the same from their producers. McDonald’s is the single largest buyer of beef and potatoes in the world, and their demands don’t go unanswered. 

Meanwhile the actual content of this newly produced “mega food” has changed dramatically to last longer, taste better and even look and smell better. Aided by processing with chemical additives and clever packaging techniques, food is now made to last longer for long-distance shipping and shelf life in the store. Your food is not so much “grown” to meet standards of quality as it is “manufactured” to meet standards of price, convenience and longevity. Nowhere is this more evident than in the kitchens, containers and drive through lanes of millions of fast-food establishments. 

The resulting health effects of a fast-food diet have been documented and discussed a lot. Higher fat and sodium content has led to increased prevalence of certain cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. The industry has responded with more diversified menus that include some healthier choices; but the popularity of the Bic Mac, the Whopper and fries hasn’t waned. Fast food, perhaps rivaling the auto and beer industries, has been wildly effective at advertising and branding their goods, much of it aimed at children. Consider that Ronald McDonald has been identified as the most popular figure among children only after Santa Claus! Mister Rogers, who devoted much of his career railing against advertising aimed at children, must have been appalled.

“Big” is an adjective bantered about a great deal in the modern era: big tobacco, big oil, big tech, big pharma, and big banks, to name a few. How about big food? It was the potential adverse health effects of fast food that first turned me against it. It is much more that has furthered my disdain. Like Walmart (big retail?), big food has made billions of dollars, much of it by jeopardizing the health of its patrons, exploiting its workforce, and squeezing every last buck from its suppliers, vendors, and producers. Farmers have borne much of the cost, having to sell their goods at low prices in a commodity market that few of them ever fully comprehend or conquer. 

Even the landscape has become victim to fast food culture. I can’t possibly count the number of Styrofoam, cardboard and plastic containers I’ve retrieved over the years in a feeble effort to mitigate litter, most of it originated from fast food restaurants. Having spent much of my life in commercial real estate and community development, I have witnessed firsthand the proliferation of fast-food establishments in lower income communities, very often those of predominantly non-white population.  They would deny it as blatantly as big tobacco did; but it seems to me that big food targets the poor and less educated. It’s all in the eyes of the beholder, but the sight of a neon-adorned, ultramodern fast food building in small towns and inner-city neighborhoods surrounded by paved parking and idling cars waiting in line at the drive-through for pre-made, low-grade food is not my idea of picturesque, or of what’s good for the world. 

It all sounds like a bad dream, and I wish that’s all it was. The good news: people, communities, and even the industry itself are starting to pay attention and take more positive steps. Schlosser’s book and a subsequent movie were big catalysts toward that. Many people now pay closer attention to the food they eat and its sources. Communities in many places have begun to restrict the number and style of fast-food establishments permitted, some even passing outright bans on fast food. The industry has offered varied and, in limited cases, healthier menu options, more environmentally friendly packaging, and better wages and benefits to its employees (perhaps the latter more the result of a tight labor market than concern for anyone in particular).

All of us are food consumers, and we are the ultimate driving force for change. Perhaps instead of bargain hunting for what most sustains us and asking why healthy food costs so much, we should be asking why unhealthy food costs so little. Really, low prices at what cost? Our culture, our landscape, our environment, our workers, and our very health and well-being. 

It begins with us. Know your food and know your farmer. Sourcing food is not always easy and big food is banking on that, but it’s easier now than it’s ever been. Be suspicious of food arriving in sealed plastic metal and cardboard. Read the ingredients and avoid those with more than three, especially if it ends in “ene” or “ous.” Those are usually chemical additives. Shop, when possible, at farmers markets and local cooperatives. Many farmers like us work hard to bypass big food to sell directly to you. It might be a little less convenient and more costly to meet us in the middle, but doing the right thing isn’t always the easiest or the cheapest, but it’s still the right thing.

Butcher Day

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It is by far my least favorite and most stressful day, and one that I don’t take lightly – for many reasons.

Delivering quality grass-fed beef and lamb as well as pastured pork (pigs are not herbivores like cattle and sheep are) to you is most important to us, and our primary purpose for doing what we do. Making that happen means delivering happy and healthy animals to a clean and well-maintained processing facility staffed by professionals good at their job and just as concerned about the treatment and general welfare of our animals as we have been. Poor treatment of animals is not only morally reprehensible, but also bad business. Stressed animals do not produce quality meat.

But let’s start with what for many folks is the moral dilemma of consuming animals for food. I’ve met many vegans and vegetarians, and all have various reasons for their choice, and it IS a choice, and one they are lucky to have. Millions of less-fortunate people are happy for any food, let alone being able to choose what that food is. That’s one of the reasons that unhealthy and cheaply produced food is often so attractive to folks of lesser means; but that’s a subject for another blog.

If I felt that conditions merit and that I could maintain the same level of health and well-being on a vegetarian diet, I would do so. I do not like killing animals for food consumption. I grew up on farms and hunted as a kid, later to give up both. However, I feel more strongly that we as human beings have a moral obligation to care for all living creatures to the best of our ability, including our pets, wildlife and the millions of livestock that have been domesticated by us over millennia. One way or another, animals have always been a source of food, to each other and to humans. I don’t believe it’s immoral to consume animals for food. It happens in nature every day, and we humans are part of that natural food chain.  I DO believe that how they are raised and disposed of within the vast industrial food complex is immoral. That’s why we at Pittsburgher Highland Farm and many other producers have taken great pains (and often smaller profits) to raise our animals with care and compassion and to process them for use as food in the most humane and stress-free way possible.

You already know that we are not a factory farm. The average age for butchering cattle raised on grain in feedlots in the U.S. is 14 months. Most of those animals will see little if any pasture during their short lives and spend their last few months crammed in corrals with thousands of other animals at the large-scale butcher facility where they will be processed at a rate approaching 5,000 per day in some places. It takes from 24 to 30 months for grass-fed cattle to reach an ideal butcher size, and sometimes longer for slower growing heritage breeds like Scottish Highlands. Our animals always spend most of their days outdoors on quality pasture and forages with clean water and ample shade available. Most of them are brood animals (females) raised for purposes of reproduction so won’t leave us for many years. Those raised solely for meat are treated just as well, and that includes the last seconds of their lives. As has been said by many, “we give them a great life; but they have one bad day.” Even that day should not be a bad one. Noted animal expert and cattle handler Dr. Temple Grandin has said that eating animals for food is not a bad thing; but it shouldn’t be a cruel thing. We owe our animals respect and devotion every day of their lives, including right up to the last second. Dr. Grandin has designed numerous large- and small-scale cattle handling facilities in North America for just that purpose, so that animals in a butcher facility experience as little stress as possible.

I do not look forward to butcher day – ever. I don’t even like the words “butcher” or “slaughter,” preferring instead to say “processor.” We usually send three beef steers each month. The stress of selecting those most “ready” and separating them into a loading facility and onto a trailer all in one day is a lot for them and me both. It is ironic that USDA rules and regulations supposedly designed to enhance animal welfare have done the opposite for smaller operators like us. Since we sell to the public, often through third party vendors, we are required to use a USDA inspected processing facility. Such facilities are required to process animals on site in the presence of a federal inspector. Sounds like a good thing, and it is for the most part. Government oversight relative to the things we eat is certainly needed. Large processors have made it easy since they keep thousands of animals on site in feed pens right up until the moment of butchering, thereby eliminating the stress associated with loading day that I and others face. The most stressful thing for the animals that I have worked so hard for so many months to nurture is the day that I separate them from the herd and the only environment they’ve ever known, load them onto a trailer and send them to a strange place. If my processor were permitted to come to the farm and do the deed right there, every bit of stress that I just described would not happen. Inspected mobile butcher facilities do exist, but they are rare largely because of the hurdles created by USDA regulations often written by lobbyists for big time food processors. Go figure!

We do our best to mitigate the stress under the circumstances presented. We park the dreaded trailer at the corral several days before and get the animals used to being in the corral by feeding alfalfa pellets, a great all-forage substitute for grain. While this makes the process unfold more smoothly in most cases, it doesn’t make that day any easier for me. 

I fast on butcher days, abstaining from all food and drink except water. I also ponder long and hard that I am sacrificing animal lives so that we might live healthier, and hopefully mindful lives. It is based on an age-old custom that native Americans practiced by offering prayers of thanks to the spirits for the animals they bagged on a hunt. Personally, I just thank God that we have them, and that they have lived happy and healthy to this day. This is no small matter to me. I have worked hard to give these critters a good life on the farm, providing as much of the best grass and forage they want in a clean and comfortable environment, and adhering to all standards of animal welfare. This includes a clean and ample water supply. We have gone to great lengths and cost to divert our herds from creeks and ponds, both for environmental reasons and for animal health. It also includes refraining from any use of pesticides or herbicides of any kind. It is our belief that the best way to prevent flies, boring insects, worms, and diseases like foot rot is to move our animals daily to new grass (or new hay in winter) and keep them from congregating in muddy and feces-laden areas.

Nothing I’ve described here makes this pleasant. Butcher day always sucks.  While not pets, I do develop attachments to my animals. Some are easier to love than others. Females at our main farm are often with us for 15 years or longer and can be quite friendly and pleasant. They are a big feature on the many farm tours we host. Memories of adults as calves I’ve handled and treated come back.

I always implore folks when possible, to know their food sources. I also ask that you consider all that so many of us in the livestock business do to make sure that our animals are treated humanely at every stage of the operation, including the last. It is for their benefit, and yours.

Organic: What does it mean?

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Buying organic products means a lot to a lot of people. But what exactly does “organic” mean? According to Webster’s Dictionary organic is defined as “relating to or derived from living matter.” When referring to food or farming methods it is defined as “having been produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents.” USDA developed rules and regulations relating to the certification of organic products in 2002. It is one of the few certification programs relating to food products recognized by USDA.

Sounds good right? We should all buy organic and save the world. It certainly wouldn’t hurt; but before you do that consider a few things first.

Scottish Highlander Cattle with the word organic

The organic “movement” was around long before USDA adopted it as a certified label. Farmers and ranchers eager to raise natural products free of artificial inputs began doing so as far back as the 1960’s in response to the rapidly growing industrialization of agriculture after World War II. Most did it out of concern for health and environment and some did it because they recognized a market niche. By the turn of the millennium the organic movement had morphed from a far-flung collection of small producers into the very mega culture mass production machine that had taken over agricultural production in the first place. Once only available in specialized small stores and food coops, organic products had become commonplace on the shelves of Walmart and other large retailers. Organic production, once the domain of small-time growers (folks called them “hippy farmers” back in the day), had by year 2000 been largely coopted by the likes of Tyson, Cargill and a handful of other large processors. Since companies of that ilk generally influence government food policy, it would follow suit that certification on a national scale would be adopted.

Again, sounds good. Making more organic products available to consumers on a massive scale at lower prices under the auspices of government certification must be a good thing, right? Depends on who you ask.

Many of the small growers who worked hard long ago to buck the trend toward mass food production don’t think it’s a good thing. Those of us (including we at Pittsburgher Highland Farm) who use all organic practices in our operations but cannot afford the lengthy and costly certification process (remember it was developed by and for the big producers) don’t necessarily think its all good. Certainly, the thousands of growers and producers selling their goods locally might take exception to the widespread availability of certified organic products likely shipped in from far flung corporate farms and distribution centers, thereby increasing the already high carbon footprint of agriculture.

Organic certification has everything to do with what is used in the production of any given food product, be it plant, or animal based. Use of chemical pesticides and herbicides as well as chemical fertilizers and antibiotics or growth hormones at any stage of growth and production would prevent organic certification. This extends to three years prior to actual certification. Farmers growing cattle for beef must do so with certified organic feed on certified organic land and through certified organic facilities. Certification is handled through USDA-approved private certification agencies. The process is both expensive and time consuming. Further, many large food processors have substituted chemical inputs with newly created “substances” that meet the USDA criteria. Fly sprays and other products labeled “organic” and certified such are not uncommon.

The word “organic” simply doesn’t mean what it did several decades ago. What was once truly an “organic” movement (see Webster’s definition) has become a corporate movement managed by big business and certified by big government. A quote of which I’m fond was that of a small produce grower attending a sustainable ag conference responding to a statement from an exec responsible for his company’s organic compliance. The farmer gentleman said, “I worked hard and sacrificed much in order to change my operation so that I could call my products organic, and now sir you are sitting on that word as if it had been yours all along!”

Consider as well what organic does NOT mean. It does not mean, as already discussed, local. Certified organic food products can be produced anywhere – and even imported – and thus shipped anywhere. Most of the organic meat, produce and other food products are shipped long distances before landing on grocery shelves for purchase by consumers guilty of only trying to do their part to make the world a better place. It does not mean healthy. Any food product can be certified organic, and that includes things high in saturated fats and sugars. Ice cream and candy bars can be just as organic as spinach and kale. Lastly and near and dear to my heart, it does not mean grass-fed. Cattle and other livestock fattened by corn and grain in corporate feedlots are far more likely to wind up labeled certified organic than livestock grown 100% on grass and forage and raised on small farms located close to their customers.

Most small food producers (PHF included) have ceded certification to the big guns and have focused on the use of organic practices without certification. Most small-scale producers would have to increase prices significantly to cover the direct and indirect costs of attaining and maintaining organic certification. This is something that few of us want to do, especially with food prices rising already. Few of our customers ask if we are organic, and even fewer ask if we are certified. What matters most to them is that we are local and that we are truly a grass-fed operation. If confronted with questions about organic certification I often respond that we are organic with a small “o” and try to explain what that means.

So what is a consumer to do then? If you are compelled to buy certified organic, check the labels for ingredients, producer, and location origin. If you want to be sure your goods are local, try shopping at farmers markets, local markets, or food coops instead of chain stores. The best way to be certain that the food we eat is what we want is to know who grew it and how they grew it. Pittsburgher Highland Farm and lots of other producers are eager to show you.

Buy Fresh Buy Local

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You’ve seen the bumper sticker. Maybe you even talk the talk; but do you walk the walk? The world is perhaps more health conscience about food choices than ever. We are proliferated by ads online, on TV and in print for healthy choices as well as eco-friendly options in many purchasing decisions from food to fun to fad. Is buying “healthy” or buying “green” the same as buying “fresh” or “local?” Not always.

Buy Fresh, Buy Local PA

We operate a grass-fed livestock enterprise raising cattle, sheep, and chickens on grass, doing our best to minimize chemical or other artificial inputs. While we need to use equipment occasionally and still need to drive from here to there daily; we try hard to minimize using fossil fuels. Our products are sold direct and via farmers’ market to local consumers. Rarely is anything shipped out of the area. It’s accurate to claim that our products are indeed fresh and local.

So, what of the majority of consumers who do their buying at the supermarket? How fresh and local is that, and what difference does it make if it’s not? A lot.

Most of the food products, including meat and produce, have been mass processed at central locations and shipped to various markets to display for sale. Most of the beef in the U.S., for instance, is produced by only four large operators of feedlot/slaughterhouse facilities in just a few central locations. The resulting packaged product is then shipped via air, rail, and truck to thousands of retail venues throughout the nation and the rest of the world, burning tons of fossil fuels and crowding roadways throughout. Indeed, this process employs many people and supports the economies of lots of places.

The answer for many consumers is to make more eco-friendly buying decisions, sometimes even eliminating certain foods like meat and dairy from their diets. Vegetarian and vegan diets have become very popular. Does this make it all better? Not always.

Chances are pretty good that the all-veggie burger available at the local market as an alternative to meat products has been mass processed in a facility far from home and shipped a long distance via a complex supply chain prior to finding its way into your shopping bag. Close examination of the label might indicate that it includes several artificial flavorings and preservatives as well. Further, what do we really know about this “healthy” veggie burger? What’s really in it? Where and how was it produced? How were these “veggies” grown? Probably not fresh, and probably not local. Not even close.

People make buying and dietary choices for a variety of reasons: health, moral and otherwise, and I’m not asking anyone to change their mind about that. The only suggestion here is to consider the implications on the local economy as well as the value added by way of freshness when making those decisions.

Hey most of us have shopped at Walmart. Sometimes it’s the best choice. Price, convenience, and choice very often drive buying decisions for any of us. Sometimes, however, price, convenience and choice have a higher cost. Just think about it.

Know Your Farmer

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This is a common bumper sticker these days; but what does it mean? It’s simple really. Explained another way, it suggests knowing exactly where your food is from and how it is produced – farm to plate.

Pittsburgher Highland Farm Owner & Farmer, Mark Smith

For most folks’ food comes from the grocery store, most of it in cans, boxes, bags or bottles. Much of the food we eat is processed and packaged in a factory. Yes, a factory! The “farm fresh” product you bought today for dinner tonight began its journey on several farms somewhere before making its way via processing and handling facilities to a packaging and distribution facility and finally to the store shelf. The amount of fossil fuels needed just for transport alone would run our farm for weeks!

Since we primarily raise beef cattle, let’s focus on that sector. Most of the beef consumed in America is produced via the commodity markets. That means that several hundred thousand cattle that have been fattened on a farm feedlot are sold to a processor and shipped to a larger feedlot where they are fed fat-inducing grain rations prior to slaughter in a facility that employs hundreds of people. The resulting product is mixed and packaged for consistency so that every steak looks much like the next and tastes the same. Along the way flavoring and preservatives are added so they taste even better and last longer before transport to grocery stores in often far-away places. This journey might take weeks to accomplish and leaves behind a carbon footprint that rivals entire towns. The processors are unlikely to invite you for a tour of the facilities anywhere along the way. Welcome to the industrial food complex.

It is our stated goal to do just the opposite. Our cattle are born on the farm and raised there on grass until the day we load ‘em up for a short trip to a family-owned butcher facility where they are killed as humanely as such a process allows. The resulting beef carcass will hang for a minimum of 14 days before it is cut to our specifications and vacuum sealed and frozen on site. When finished we pick up the beef and sell it directly to you. No factories, tractor trailers, trains, conveyers, mixers, or feedlots involved.

Not only do we invite anyone interested to come to the farm and see what we do; we strongly encourage it. Through farm tours and rental of our on-farm tiny home (Highland House), we do our best to accommodate folks (customers or not) interested in knowing more about sustainable farming and direct-to-consumer production. In short, to “know their farmer.”

Read more about our owner/farmer, Mark Smith.