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Better
even than your own garden, the markets have a selection
of items that a backyard could never accommodate; you
can choose from pesticide-free, certified organic, or
traditionally grown items - everything from carrots
to almonds. The market in Morro Bay offers seafood,
while at the San Luis Obispo Saturday morning market
you can get grass-fed beef, fresh honey, and olives.
The beef comes from Old Creek Ranch, a local
family farm that started growing Valencia oranges in
1949. Their motto is, "Grown in Harmony with Nature,"
and they believe nature knows best what cows should
eat. Their cattle spend their entire lives grazing the
fertile pasturelands on their Cayucos ranch. Antibiotic-
and hormone-free, their beef is rich in Omega 3 fatty
acids, is lower in fat than grain-fed beef, and contains
fewer calories.
Raising cattle solely on grass requires much more care
than just sending them out to graze. In order for grass-fed
beef to be succulent and tender, the animals need high-quality
forage, which requires healthy soil so that the pasture
remain lush. Apparently the quality of the grass is
so important, that some who raise this beef consider
themselves to be grass farmers as much as cattle ranchers.
The difference between Old Creek Ranch beef,
and what you buy in the store goes beyond health considerations,
and can be summed up in one word: flavor. After trying
one of their steaks and the ground beef, we realized
what we'd been missing. Store-bought beef is frequently
bland and tough, while this was rich, with a melt-in-your-mouth
quality. In addition to attending several farmers markets,
Old Creek Ranch sells beef directly to consumers
through its website: www.oldcreekranch.net.
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