PIERSON FARM Natural Beef is exactly what the name says, NATURAL! Our animals are not raised in confinement, fed antibiotics and hormones, or force fed scientifically formulated rations for the singular goal of profit. Our animals graze in lush green pastures in the lower Hudson Valley of New York. We are able to achieve amazing rates of gain by rotating the cattle from one pasture paddock to the next; providing fresh water and grass. With many paddocks in the rotation, each paddock is able to "rest" for up to 21 days, allowing fresh new growth for the next rotation. Large ruminants have the ability to harvest and digest all the energy and protein they need in a setting that has the least possible stress on their bodies and temperament. There is simply no better feed or atmosphere possible for these cattle to grow. This is why we don't need antibiotics or hormones to control disease or stimulate rates of gain. Our natural beef cattle have no disease issues because they are not stressed and yet they will average about 2 pounds per day natural weight gain. They are provided with free choice salt and minerals that are not available sufficiently in green grass.

Animals raised in commercial feedlots are confined in large lots and fed formulated rations comprised mostly of bi-product feeds left over from the human food industry, such as potato chip waste, broken cookies, bread crust, and blood meal to name a few. Exercise is very limited and the feedlot environment creates social stress on the animals for a survival of the fittest atmosphere. Driven totally by profit, these operations intentionally keep the animals on the edge of acidosis (sickness) and gaining as much weight as possible on the cheapest ration available.

Organic beef must be raised on feeds without antibiotics or hormones; but are often raised in confinement with no guarantee of a stress free environment. Organic certification refers only to what the animal was fed and does not make any claim about how the animal was raised. The animal's welfare does not need to be a top priority and they are often fed rations high in grain, potentially creating an unnatural diet and what we consider to be an unhealthy life for cattle.