Today society is nearly overwhelmed with talk of nutrition. Your family doctor has probably told you, at some point, to improve your diet. Or, you want to shed a few pounds for summer or some big event that you want to look your best for -- a wedding or a reunion perhaps. Maybe you've been on a health journey for some time and you've simply plateaued, so you're looking at some of the latest and greatest "diets" out there.
Well, nutrition has been a focal point in our household for more than a decade. It's how we ended up raising our own bison! Some folks choose to raise their own vegetables, others may choose chickens or beef cattle....even milk cows are becoming a common fixture on homesteads and small farms!
Us? Go big or go home! lol
But seriously, one of the big things I've learned about nutrition is that it simply does NOT begin with what we're eating, but what the proteins we consume are eating!
Adequate animal nutrition is essential for high rates of gain, ample milk production, efficient reproduction, and overall health of an animal. But, simply rotating an animal, especially a bison, into a paddock or small pasture that may have a lot of green grasses and forage doesn't mean we're meeting those needs. Forage quality varies between species and seasons.
And personally, 'adequate' isn't my goal! I'm returning to school this fall to further my knowledge of nutrition and to cert and license as a nutrition counselor. I'm not going back to work and won't be taking on clients. But, advancing this knowledge and expanding my understanding of the functions of the human body systems, the impact of nutrients and minerals, and how to mitigate common disorders and deficiencies paired with the nutritional focus I keep on our herd seems like a logical marriage.
I want to know that the effort I'm putting into our herd's health is truly impacting the health of our customers that come to us seeking some form of relief from whatever challenges they're facing!
I monitor everything -- water, forage, dry matter, soil. Gains, ectoparasites, endoparasites, weather patterns and trends. Even social structure within the herd is an ongoing study that keeps me busy!
But the NUTRITION side of it? That's a science all its own!
Palatability - Will the bison eat the forage available? Is it palatable? Is it softer, more moist, aromatic? Does it feel different than another available forage? Intake - How much of it are they eating? Performance is based on the intake and the quality of the intake. Gains, immune health, gut health, and social harmony, are all dependent on intake and quality.
Digestibility - How much of the forage is absorbed as it passes through the digestive system? Fresh immature leafy plants may be as high as 90% digested while later season grasses nearing their dormancy as low as 50%. What are the mineral comparisons and how is it impacting the nutrient density?
Nutrient content - Since most healthy forages in the peek of their season can contain as much as 70-90% water, measuring cell contents and structural components of the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin (cell walls) in dry matter form has to be consistent. It's why I take samples numerous times a year.
Anti-Nutrient Factors are equally important - there are a variety of compounds that can be lurking in the herds' forage and can cause lower performance, sickness, behavioral changes, and even death. So we have to test for numerous compounds that lower the quality of forages -- and avoid having them available.
This is just part of the life of a bison producer that focuses on quality. It starts beneath the soil, through the grasses, forages, and water and then works its way through the herd and through the seasons. Then, eventually feeds the end consumer -- Me and You!
This year the weather has been kinder to the fields, and we're blessed with an overabundance of legumes. Legumes produce higher quality forage than most grasses because they usually have less fiber and favor higher intake than grasses (less stemmy and softer, more leafy). For a mental picture - Fair to Good grasses produce 8-14% crude protein, and legumes produce 15-20%. That's a pretty significant protein intake generating higher amounts of digestible energy.
Not to mention the health of the soil legumes promote!! Double-win!
So, you can see why it is important that I stay on top of what the herd is consuming and at what rate, and especially what the result is manufacturing.
And it certainly goes beyond the Greenwashing that floods the marketing world today! It's not just "grass-fed" "grass-finished" or "pasture-raised." It's what quality of grass and dry matter? And, it goes well beyond "Antibiotic-free" "No added hormones" or "Humanely raised." There are laws and regulations that control that, and as for that humanely raised jargon? I'm kind of a SHOW ME kinda-gal. I find it appalling that rotational grazing is being promoted and applied to bison. Forced to graze (or be 'lawnmowers') eating sub-par forage that doesn't meet their nutritional needs is NOT humane.
Really almost any of the catchphrases that we see on labels or in ads today are about selling meat! They aren't about health, whether it's of the animal or the customer.
I can't stop at just testing the soils, waters, forages, etc. In order to know that I am succeeding and truly providing the highest quality product for our customers and ourselves, I have to focus on human nutrition as well.
That's my priority. It's why we now raise our own bison! It matters to me that my husband is getting the best protein possible in order to keep him off pharmaceuticals, improve his quality of life, and prolong his ability and mobility.
I need to know how certain foods can pause or reduce angiogenesis. Or, are more likely to increase inflammation, raise/lower blood pressure, cause brain fog, and other issues that can be repaired or improved without pills and injections. I need to understand how the body is utilizing certain minerals and what vitamins the food we eat best supply the body's needs.
When you are making an old family recipe, you must have the right ingredients in order to perfect the dish. Right? We need to start taking this approach with all of our food!
So, what is your nutritional priority? Email me! Let me know how important your nutrition is to you, and share your story with me if you want.
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