Agribusiness underestimates the consumer revolt against hormone-implanted meat

Sometimes it helps to look at an issue from the other side of the fence. Here's a paragraph excerpted from an on-line publication of the beef industry about the economic benefits of implanted synthetic hormones. "'There's probably nothing else we can do chute-side with a critter that is as economically important as a quality implant job,' says Gerry Kuhl, extension feedlot specialist at Kansas State University (KSU). For round-numbers perspective, Kuhl explains implanting calves adds 15-25 lbs. to weaning weight. A single implant in the stocker pasture is worth 15-40 lbs., while implants in the feedlot routinely serve up an extra 30-40 lbs. ... 'That's a response we can't afford to ignore, given the narrowing profit margins," says Kuhl.'"

Grassfarmers have a refreshingly different approach to encouraging growth in their livestock. Rather than implant their animals with hormones, they plant their fields with high quality forage. As in nature, the richness of the environment—not drugs—determines the growth rate of grassfed animals.