Question 11

This weekend your assignment is to ask *5* questions of your choosing.

All questions should be related to some aspect of agricultural sustainability and your interview candidate should be someone that you have interviewed before.

Please include both your questions and answers in your post.

Question 10 Results

Average Age of Interviewee: 52
Interviewer accessed an individual from within the farming community: 23
Interviewee was male: 23
Interviewer did not provide gender/occupation: 1

Total Number of Submissions: 24
Average Age of Interviewee: 52
Interviewer accessed an individual from within the farming community: 23
Interviewee was male: 23
Interviewer did not provide gender/occupation: 1

1. Which of the following words/phrases do you associate with the word “grazing”?

Cows: 10
Healthy: 8
Low Management: 7
High Productivity: 5
Old Fashioned: 5
Grasses: 4
High Meat Quality: 4
Cheaper Feed: 3
Low Tech: 3
Low Meat Quality: 3
High Management: 2
Sheep: 2
High Maintenance: 2
Goats: 1
Hogs: 1
Year Round: 2
Legumes: 1
Sustainable: 1
Low Body Condition: 1
High Body Condition: 1
Rough Ground: 1
Weeds: 1
Well-Managed: 1
Efficient: 1
High Input: 1

2. Interviewee currently has grazing as part of their farming operation: 15
Interviewee currently does not have grazing as part of their farming operation: 9
Interviewee revealed that they previously had grazing as part of farming operation: 7

3. Interviewee provided a response reflecting that grazing was popular within their community: 11
Interviewee provided a response reflecting that grazing was not popular within their community: 8

Interviewee provided a response reflecting that there has been a change in grazing practices: 9

Interviewee provided a response reflecting that there has not been a change in grazing practices: 4

4. Interviewee provided a response reflecting that they know farmers who they consider to be exceptional graziers: 7

Interviewee provided a response reflecting that they did not know farmers who they consider to be exceptional grazers: 13

Interviewee provided a response reflecting that they were aware of the recent increase in demand for grass-fed animal products: 10

Interviewee provided a response reflecting that they were not aware of the recent increase in demand for grass-fed animal products: 9

5. Interviewee provided some thoughts about the quality of grass-fed animal products: 18

Some sample responses:

Grazing usually provides low cost feed, but I dont think the meat quality and taste is as good as cornfed beef.

Cows need to have some fat in the meat for the flavor. I can get cattle from birth to slaughter a lot quicker by feeding grain.

Grass fed is defiantly on the rise. I expect it will continue as long as consumers are educated on its health benefits.

Grazing is pretty popular around the area. It has definetely changed throughout my career. Many cattle farmers have went to grazing to reduce feed costs.

Grazing is not that common to see around us any more. Most farmers have focused on confiment operations with no grazing.

Thoughts about the quality of grass-fed animal products:

I feel that well managed grass fed animals are some of the best quality meat in the world.

I dont think the taste would be as good as cornfed.

Grass-fed animal products are terrible, everyone in this day and age wants corn fed beef.

There is nothing wrong with grass fed animals.