Have you ever heard of a book or movie with Sacred Cow in the title? When you hear that, what do you think? Personally, I had heard of this a few times but never looked into it – and for a while ignored it. I even had a secret suspicion it would wind up as an anti-ag or anti-meat book.
That all changed one day when my mom sent me a Joe Rogan podcast episode hosting Diana Rodgers, R.D.; and Robb Wolf, authors of Sacred Cow, The Case for Better Meat. A few minutes in and I was hooked. The way that Rodgers and Wolf presented their story and the amount of research compiled to support it was overwhelming but compelling enough to make me download the audiobook and listen for more.
The book took a deep dive into modern-day assumptions and misinformation about meat, and the authors shared what they feel are flaws in our current food system and in the proposed “solutions.” The authors reveal “contrarian but science-based findings,” defending these three key points:
- Our bodies need meat and animal fat.
- It’s not a sustainable food system without animals.
- More life may be destroyed through vegan diets than sustainable cattle farming.
At the end of the book, I just thought “… hmm.” It was fascinating how it was and was not what I expected, and how even in the points of disagreeing with them, I still found it remarkable how far they went to validate the information presented.
I knew I was reading this book as a dairy girl, and I needed an opinion from a beef girl. I interviewed my friend Courtney Gray, owner/operator at Blue Hill Farms, the person I go to with all of my beef and meat questions. Like me, Courtney wasn’t totally sure what to expect. “I didn’t have high expectations, if I’m being honest. I was surprised by the amount of research cited in the book and the resources the authors used to formulate their theories. I would still say that the book is based on the authors’ opinions, which they use factual data to support.”
She continued, “There were parts of the book I agreed with and understood the authors’ points of view. As a beef producer, one of the things that we work hard on is utilizing forage-based diets, rotational grazing systems and doing our best to work with nature instead of against it. The book talks a lot about the importance of regenerative agriculture and the value ruminants and specifically cattle can play in improving ecosystems. I agree.”
However, we both questioned the way the authors seemingly presented beef as the only choice of protein for humans. “Often in the book, the authors make it very clear that they support eating grass-finished beef but no other farmed proteins (like chicken or pork). This is a tragic flaw in the overall food philosophy of the authors.” Courtney added on, “According to the USDA, nearly 38 million Americans are considered food insecure. Making blanket statements like the authors in the book do to belittle other proteins is simply dangerous to human nutrition. To put it simply, the U.S. could not survive with grass-fed beef being the only available protein. It’s not plausible.”
In addition to beef being a superior protein, the authors are very pro-grass fed and refer to more conventional practices as factory farming, which is a part of the book that disappointed me. Courtney had a similar response. “They cite many reasons, environmental, nutrition, emotional – all of which they provide accurate data for. I’m not opposed to the facts they provide; however, it’s clear that the authors are interested in pushing their agenda.” She explained, “Grass finishing requires a longer period of time, with ideal growing conditions for the forage. Much of the U.S. that is heavily used for beef production does not offer growing conditions suitable for grass-based systems. Ultimately, if consumers only chose grass-finished beef, the price would increase significantly, and the availability of beef would decline.”
At the end of the book, Courtney and I both agreed that this book is pro-beef – as long as the beef is done the authors’ way. I would recommend this book to producers, since it is an exceptionally well-thought-out point of view and one we all need to hear. I would also consider recommending it to consumers, depending on the person. It would need to be someone I trust to ask me questions as they read it and willing to hear my opinions of what I agree and disagree with.
