

Friends of Family Farmers wants farm animals to lead more natural lives, including napping in the sun.

When you think of a farm, do you imagine cattle grazing on rich, green pasture grass and chickens pecking around in the dirt, looking for bugs? Do you envision lambs bounding around on legs like springs and pigs rooting through the soil and rolling in cool, delicious mud?

The reality is that scenes like this are rare exceptions, not the norm. Animals are typically raised in crowded conditions in closed-in barns called CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations). They're fed a diet of "mash -- a blend of cereal grains that can include corn, barley, sorghum or wheat," according to

by Oregon writer Lynne Curry. Because of the crowded conditions in the CAFOs and the need to maximize growth, Curry writes that cattle "receive daily doses of additives that improve digestion and are injected with slow-release pellets of synthetic estrogen that can add up to 40 extra pounds."

Though these practices describe how 95 percent of the annual calf crop is raised, an emerging group of ranchers choose to raise their cattle exclusively on pasture grass and hay, eschewing confinement and its accompanying regimen of antibiotics and hormones.

, a local organization that works to support independent family farmers who use sustainable methods, is launching a campaign called Pro-Pasture Fridays to promote an alternative to confinement operations.

What consumers should know

New Seasons' Alan Hummel says there are four questions consumers should ask about the meat they buy:

  • Was the animal 100 percent grass-fed?
  • Was it raised on pasture or in a feed lot?
  • Where does it come from? Is it local or imported from out of state?
  • Is it fresh or was it frozen?

Why target just one day a week? According to FoFF, if a family of four purchased $25 worth of pasture-raised products a week, it would amount to $1,300 per year. If only 10 percent of Oregonians spent the same $25 per week on pasture-raised products for one year, it would add up to more than $500 million annually, supporting local family farmers and rural communities statewide.

Aside from a healthier life for animals raised on grass and the economic support for family farmers, FoFF also cites health benefits for consumers. Studies show that grass-fed beef has higher concentrations of omega-3s (which, interestingly, give it a more intense flavor) and more antioxidants than grain-fed beef. The butter-colored fat of grass-fed cattle has seven times the carotene of grain-fed beef, and three times the vitamin E.

Advocates also claim that grass-fed animals, including cattle, chickens, sheep and pigs, benefit the environment. The pharmaceuticals administered to animals in large factory farms end up in the waste stream and can pollute waterways and groundwater. The ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and methane released by the animals' waste can be harmful to the environment: A 2010 Centers for Disease Control study states that CAFOs are lowering air quality in the areas around the facilities and "also emit greenhouse gases, therefore contributing to climate change."

On the other hand, grass-fed animals fertilize the soil and in the process of grazing help the grass pull carbon out of the air and into the soil.

, well-known author of

also notes that grass-fed animals have a lighter carbon footprint because they don't require the fertilizer, pesticides and fossil fuels used to raise animals in grain-fed operations.

Pro-Pasture Fridays launches this week and will feature prominent signage in participating retail outlets and restaurants, along with labels identifying meat, dairy and egg products that are raised exclusively by Oregon ranchers and farmers in humane conditions, free of routine antibiotics and without harming the environment. Shoppers will also find many retailers offering discounts on pasture-raised animal products.

Demand for humanely raised, hormone and antibiotic-free, grass-fed meat is growing steadily. Alan Hummel, director of meat and seafood at New Seasons Market, says that more shoppers are asking for grass-fed meat, and that he's constantly on the prowl for new suppliers. "The category is growing and it's here to stay," he says.

He added that consumers need to be aware that meat labeled "pasture-raised" is not the same as "grass-fed." On its own website, the USDA states it "has not developed a federal definition for pasture-raised products" and, according to Hummel, the label is being used by some retailers to describe meat from animals that were not fed on grass their entire lives.

The Pro-Pasture Fridays labeling should help minimize confusion for shoppers and make identifying strictly grass-fed products much easier. For himself, Hummel says he prefers grass-fed over grain-fed meat. "It's got a more robust flavor," he said. "It's much more true to what I remember eating as a kid."

Kathleen Bauer

is a writer and the author of the