Good Food is Everybody's Business
Over the last 70 years, the beef industry has changed considerably, evolving into an intense, industrial enterprise designed to put as much weight on as many cattle as fast as possible and get the resulting meat to market as quickly as possible. In response to the damaging impact of feedlot production, more and more farmers and ranchers are choosing to return to – and improve upon – traditional methods of raising cattle on grass.
Devon Peña – teacher, farmer, anthropologist – talks about food sovereignty and producer ethics. He is part of a co-op of 52 farmers in the San Luis Valley of Colorado who raise grass-fed beef and heritage corn and beans.
Situated on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi, the 50-acre Malinowski farm is a mix of oak woods and open pasture. Currently the cattle are rotated among 5 paddocks spread across 20 acres; in past years as many as 50 cattle a year were finished here, with cows and calves housed at a second farm nearby.
