The Farm

Clear Springs Farm is a family owned cattle farm located in Julian, NC in the heart of the Piedmont. With four generations of farmers comes four generations of hard work and love, and our methods have evolved to better serve the animals, environment, and community. One of the ways we do this is by ensuring our cattle are grass-fed and grass-finished. This means that our cattle are never purchased from auctions or outside sales. Instead our calves are born and raised on our family farm, feeding off of native forages from start to finish and are never given added hormones or antibiotics. Most other cattle are grain-finished, meaning, towards the end of their life, they are shipped away to a feed lot where they are fed grain to fatten them up, but our cattle are finished on our fields.

Included in our efforts is a fierce dedication to the land as we work hard to remain a Certified Wildlife Habitat. This means we work to clear out invasive species and protect native wildlife, providing them with a healthy habitat and never using harmful pesticides or insecticides. Here at Clear Springs Farm, we want to help native wildlife flourish and do our part to aid in the protection of endangered or threatened species in North Carolina such as our native pollinators, amphibians, and birds. Our environmentally friendly approach has let our wildlife live in harmony with our cattle production.

Why Grass Fed?

A diet of grass and native forage is healthiest for the cow and healthiest for the consumer. A grain-fed diet can actually become detrimental to the cow’s life. This is because cattle have evolved to eat a diet of grass which is low in protein and high in fiber. Cattle have very little grain digesting bacteria in their gut, which is actually good because these bacterium are very acidic. However, when a cow is fed a high grain diet, the population of grain-digesting bacteria in their gut rises along with the acidity. This high acidity can cause lesions in the stomach and digestive track. To combat this, feedlots sometimes give their cattle sub-therapeutic antibiotics which is a poor substitute for the cow and a health risk for the consumers eating the meat.

How is it Healthier For You?

Cattle get more minerals out of a grass-fed diet and can digest more of the vitamins they are eating. This means that they get a more diverse, nutrient rich diet which leads to more nutrients in the fat of the beef. When compared to grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef has three times as much Omega-3 fats and it is fewer calories. Omega-3 are the fats also found in avocados and fish, and they are healthier for your heart and brain. There are also four times fewer Omega-6 fats found in grass-fed cattle than grain-fed. Too much Omega-6 can cause high blood pressure or blood clots leading to heart attack or stroke. Grass-fed beef isn’t just tasty, it’s better for you and a better life for the cow.