Sweet Grass Farm Beef

100% Sweet Grass-fed and Finished Wagyu ("Kobe") Beef

Lopez Island, Washington

Environmentally Friendly Farming

We work to farm within our environment using no irrigation or fertilizer. Extending our grazing year through careful management allows us to reduce our use of hay in the winter. Improving and adding wildlife habitat improves the health and vitality of our whole system.

Wendell Berry says it beautifully.
“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.”

When you purchase Sweet Grass Farm Wagyu Beef you are part of that renewal.

We are working with the San Juan County Conservation District to improve agriculture in the county.

An independent wetland biologist monitors our winter surface water quality.

Grass Fed

We utilize forage testing to determine the peak of grass quality and the Wagyu finish beautifully on our pastures without any grain*. The feedlot attitude of slaughtering by 18 months of age to avoid having to take animals through a second winter is still the driving force for most grass fed farms. The most flavorful tender beef of any breed comes from animals that are truly mature. I know many beef producers who only harvest fully mature, 2+ year old animals for themselves. We focus on quality and harvest no animal before it is truly ready, usually 28 to 32 months.

*For more on why grass fed and finished beef is beneficial to the environmental and consumer health (as opposed to feeding grain which is a disaster from both an environmental and health standpoint) check out www.eatwild.com and Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Read an excerpt.

For the environment

We are working with Ducks Unlimited (DU), a wildlife enhancement group, www.ducks.org, to improve wildlife habitat. We have two main focus areas. The sloughs that were developed in the 60’s to manage drainage in the lower fields; and planting trees and hedges in the upland pastures. With over a mile of slough way we have a great opportunity to make changes that will create important habitat for migratory waterfowl along the Pacific flyway. In the upland pastures we will be planting an open network of native trees to reduce evaporation, cool summer soil temperatures and offer habitat to a variety of species including migratory songbirds. DU has been awarded a grant that will provide for expenses and Sweet Grass Farm is donating $30k of in-kind labor for creation and on going maintaince of the project. I am excited to have a chance to work with the folks at DU. They bring a wealth of experience to a project like this and they understand the value of mixing wildlife habitat with a well-managed grazing system. The work is anticipated to begin next summer. I will keep you updated. Volunteers are welcome. Please contact me if you are interested.