2010 Taste of the Hawaiian Range CTAHR presentation

15th MEALANIA TASTE OF THE HAWAIIANRANGE

Note: PowerPoint available on TOHR website

15th Mealani A Taste of the Hawaiian Range

• The purpose of the Mealani A Taste of the Hawaiian Range is to provide an educational venue to encourage and support local production of agricultural products through social, cultural and scientific exchanges.

• It features a diverse array of talents brought together for the purpose of developing an ethos of compatibility, tranquility and sustainability with this land we co-inhabit.

15th Mealani A Taste of the Hawaiian Range

• The event is a partnership between the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, all aspects of the cattle industry including the Hawaii Cattlemen's Association and the Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Big Island farmers, and community volunteers. Sponsorship also includes:– Big Island Resource Conservation & Development– Hafner Creative Communications– Hawai'i Tourism Authority– Hawai'i County Research and Development – Hawai‘i Community College Food Service & Culinary Program– Hilton Waikoloa Village– Kamuela Grown– Kamehameha Schools– Kulana Foods– KTA SuperStores.

Definitions• No standardized meaning or rules

regulating:– “Grass fed beef”– “Grass finished beef”– “Natural beef”– “Free range beef”– Typically growth hormones, antibiotics, are not

used.

• “Grain Fed”, “grain finished beef” (usually about 90 days)

– Note: Also applies to other livestock ruminants such as sheep, goats, etc.

Definitions• Organic beef: rules in place by the USDA• To be certified as organic, all cattle should

meet the following criteria:– Born and raised on certified organic pasture– Never receive antibiotics– Never receive growth-promoting hormones– Are fed only certified organic grains and grasses– Must have unrestricted outdoor access

Beef Industry in Hawaii• 35 years ago, Hawaii produced about 30% of beef

consumed locally,• Today, less than 7% of beef locally produced; remainder

imported from US mainland and foreign countries

• WHY? Economics. – No local source of feed or by-products that can be

used for feed– High cost of shipping feed in to finish cattle– Cryovac packaging allows for extended shelf life of

mainland and foreign beef, – high cost of slaughter and processing due to smaller,

less efficient plants in Hawaii

Food Sustainability and Security in Hawaii

• Hawaii produces less than 15% of food we consume– Precarious situation in the event of

shipping lanes interrupted or increase cost of transportation

• Strikes, natural disasters, world conflict, price of petroleum

• Because of restricted land and water resources, getting to 100% self sufficiency difficult but much room to improve.

Cattle Stomachs Designed for Eating Grass

Grass Fed BeefRuminants typically have 4 stomachs

Grass Fed Beef•Cattle stomachs designed to feed on grass.•Concentrated feeds such as grains make their digestive tracts abnormally acidic•Grass fed cattle have 80% less of E. coli strain 0157:H7 than grain fed cattle.

Grass Fed Beef• Good for the environment. Ranchers are

stewards of our environment; utilize land to graze animals, and also maintain a vegetative cover on the landscape that prevents erosion. Grass helps clean the air as it draws in carbon dioxide and stores carbon in its underground root mass.

• Animal welfare proponents support the humane husbandry of allowing animals to mature on pasture at a normal growth rate. Fresh pasture and dried grasses are the natural diet of all ruminant animals,

• Good to Eat. Grass-fed beef is tasty.• Grass fed beef is healthy food

Grass Fed BeefDisadvantages

– Requires longer time on pasture land• Cow-Calf: Weaned off and shipped about 7 to 9

months of age; cash flow in every year• Grass fed: must be fed on pastures for least 18

- 24 months. (year round growing conditions)• Shortage of high quality pastures• Susceptible to impact of droughts• However, “Red Veal”, a new product from up to

7 month old calves just weaned from their mothers with a live weight of from 500 to 600 pounds, has been introduced into local markets

Grass Fed Beef• Disadvantages (cont’d)

– Currently, quality (tenderness) not consistent, therefore, much of the locally produced meat goes to “ground beef”.

– However, tools such as shear testing, aging and genetic selection of animals with tenderness genes are being used to address this issue.

– Cost of production higher then mainland or imported beef.

– Return to producers, market share and lands to consistently finish cattle on grass limit grass finish beef production. Our plants run below their capacity on the Big Island. The plant on Oahu has almost no beef cattle business

Grass Fed Beef•Advantages/Benefits

•Lower in total fat•Higher in beta-carotene•Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)•Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin•Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium•Higher in total omega-3s•A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)•Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter •Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)•Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart diseaseS.K. Duckett et al, Journal of Animal Science, (published online) June 2009, “Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: III. Tissue proximate, fatty acid, vitamin and cholesterol content.”

Grass Fed Beef

Grass Fed Beef

Grass Fed Beef• Other Advantages/Benefits

– Can be marketed as a niche market product for a very handsome price examples:

• 10 lbs of Gourmet Grass Fed Ground BeefPLUS FREE Shipping 10 lbs Only $81.95 4 (8 oz.)

• 4 -8 oz Natural Dry Aged Grass Fed Rib Eye SteakReg. $ 68.94 You Save $ 9.99 ! Today Only $ 58.95

• Grass-fed Beef - 3 Sirloin Steaks by Tropical Traditions on eBay List Price: $118.50 Price: $92.50

Grass Fed BeefSummary

• Healthy and good for you• Tasty• Helps Hawaiʻi to be more food

self sufficient and sustainability• Good for the environment and

encourages land stewardship• Humane treatment of livestock• Helps the local economy