This cattle rancher and chef find inspiration in cooking with beef
Chances are that you love a good steak or burger. But with the increasing threat of climate change and news articles questioning the sustainability of some foods, you’re also probably wondering just how much beef should be included in your diet—aren’t cows to blame for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions? According to two industry experts, Dagan Lynn, an executive chef for the Beef Checkoff-funded Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner brand, and Kimberly Ratcliff, a Texas cattle rancher, it’s not that simple. In fact, they say, raising and eating beef can actually be done quite sustainably. So, fire up that grill and get ready to have your burger, guilt-free.
“Cattle ranchers are amazing stewards, constantly trying to make the land better and sustaining its health for future generations. They study the land every day in order to minimize their impact on it, and benefit the land with every decision they make,” says Chef Lynn.
Those decisions, according to Ratcliff, are made deliberately to ensure that her family’s farm at Caney Creek Ranch is operating at peak sustainability for the environment. No one has more of a vested interest in seeing the land and animals thrive than cattle ranchers hoping to see their business passed on to the next generation. For example, much of Texas is currently facing a drought making it difficult to raise cattle. Ranchers like Ratcliff are facing the challenges head on, getting creative and finding ways to use water and other resources as efficiently as possible.