Two cows were outside the fence where the grass was green and lush. Yet rather than eat, they stared back through the electric fence at the “good” cows that had not escaped from the pasture Miles Smith Farm leases from St. Paul’s School. But these were not Miles Smith Farm cattle. These cows, both the “good ones” and the “escapees,” belonged to Steve Normanton of Litchfield. Some of you might have seen these escapees on the path behind the New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center.
This year, Miles Smith Farm had more remote pastures than we needed for our 65 head of cattle, so we shared our leased Audubon pasture with 70 head of cattle owned by Steve Normanton. We had extra pasture; Steve had extra cattle and needed pasture; we joined together to collaborate and solve two problems. Steve sells grass fed beef at his farm, just as we at Miles Smith Farm do. Since both farms sell grass-fed beef, why are we helping each other? Simple – because one beef farm alone can’t supply all the meat needed to feed New Hampshire. Local farmers have to work together.
And who benefits? You, the local beef consumer. The more local grass fed beef available, the healthier your local economy, your local farmer and, ultimately, your diet.
You know the adage “You are what you eat?”
If you are eating beef that was raised and finished on grass in New Hampshire, you are a hero of local grass. Given a good mix of rain and sun, well managed fields of grass can provide forage all year. Yes, I said, “all year.” Why use tractors and mowers to cut the grass, store it, feed it out to cattle, then spread their manure back on the field? Why not leave the grass standing and let the cattle harvest their own food – even in the winter? In the past, cattle used to paw through snow for grass and they can relearn this skill today.
Healthy eating is more than just eating healthy foods. Healthy eating is about looking around you at the abundance of unused pastures in New Hampshire. Healthy eating is working with local farmers to put fallow land into productive farming. Healthy eating is about farmers working with other farmers to increase local food production. Healthy eating is about healthy land, healthy earth. If we can restore abandoned pastures and fields with effective grazing we make room for raising local food and sustain a healthy lifestyle right here in New Hampshire.
Why is local food healthy? It is fresher and tastes better than food hauled across the country. Local food is healthy because if the trucks stop hauling food, we in New Hampshire will have a food supply of locally raised meats and vegetables.
And by working together Steve Normanton, Miles Smith Farm and others are growing the New Hampshire herd of grass fed cattle. And you are helping by purchasing the beef that got fat off local New Hampshire grass. It takes a team to grow and eat local healthy foods. Are you part of the healthy eating team?
The Capital Area Wellness Coalition meets in the Smile Building on the second Wednesday of each month at 8 a.m. For more information, call 867-8194 or visit capwellness.org.
