The Complete Guide to Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished, Pasture-Raised Beef

By Scott Wells

The Complete Guide to Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished, Pasture-Raised Beef

 

Do you find yourself going to the grocery store to buy meat and being utterly confused by all the labels on ground beef and steak? You want to buy quality meat, and you’ve heard “grass-fed” is good, but what’s the difference between grass-fed and grass-finished? Is pasture-raised the same as free-range? And why does it matter?

Let's break down these terms and what they really mean for your food, your health, and the environment. Ultimately, these are the labels you want to look for if you want the best quality beef and steak:

"100% Grass-Fed"

"Grass-fed and Grass-Finished"

OR

"Pasture-Raised AND Grass-Finished"

 

 

Common Beef Terms Explained

Grass-Fed 🚫

This term honestly doesn’t mean much on its own without it saying "grass-fed, grass-finished" or "100% grass-fed."

People think it means: Cattle that only eat grass, but legally speaking it doesn't mean much, as the term "grass-fed" alone isn't regulated. A cow could be grass-fed for most of its life but finished on grain and still be labeled "grass-fed." A cow could also be raised in small sized feedlot conditions and fed grass occasionally and be labeled as “grass-fed” (see video linked below via @SeedOilScout).

Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished ✅

Beef that eat grass, hay and forage their entire lives (no grain, ever).

This is what you're really looking for if you want beef from cattle that ate grass their entire lives. Grass-fed, grass-finished means:

  • Cattle ate nothing but grass and forage from weaning to harvest

  • No grain, ever

  • Access to pasture during the growing season

  • Hay or forage during winter months

 

100% Grass-Fed ✅

Beef that eat grass, hay and forage their entire lives (no grain, ever). This term is also what you want to look for if you want beef from cattle that ate grass their entire lives.

  • No meaningful difference to grass-finished; Cattle ate nothing but grass and forage from weaning to harvest

  • Indicates the animal ate only grass and forage throughout its entire life

  • No grain, ever

  • Look for this term combined with "grass-finished" for the highest certainty

 

Pasture-Raised

Typically means that cows live entirely on pasture, but can mean they live in barns or lot but also have some access to pasture. Pasture-raised cows are usually fed some grain. If you're ok with that, pasture-raised is certainly better than grain-fed feedlot cattle, but it does not mean the cows were 100% grass-fed.

What it means:

  • Animals have access to the outdoors

  • Can graze on pasture

  • May still be fed grain

  • More space than feedlot cattle Note: Like "grass-fed," this term isn't strictly regulated

 

 

Grain-Fed/Grain-Finished 🚫

This is your average American beef. Fed mostly grains including corn, oats, barley and/or soybean meal.

The standard American beef production method:

  • Calves start on mother's milk

  • May graze on pasture early in life

  • Moved to feedlots around 6-12 months of age

  • Fed a diet of corn, soy, and other grains to fatten quickly

  • Usually harvested around 18 months of age

 

Feedlot 🚫

A feed lot is a small enclosure or pen on top of dirt where cows live together in dense conditions. Honestly, in our opinion, this is a terrible life for a cow. Unfortunately over 80% of the beef consumed in the US comes from feedlots. We're doing our best to help change that by only supporting regenerative ranchers that raise grass-fed, pasture-raised cattle.

Feedlot farms are also known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs):

  • Large-scale facilities where cattle are confined

  • High-density animal population

  • Limited or no access to pasture

  • Grain-based diet

  • Focused on rapid weight gain


 

Important Beef Label Claims to Know

 

Product of USA

Does not mean the beef was born, raised and harvested in the United States.

Here's something that might surprise you: this label doesn't mean what you think. Beef can be labeled "Product of USA" if it's:

  • Simply processed in the USA

  • Could be raised in another country

  • Only needs to be packaged in the USA

This is a pretty ridiculous oversight by the USDA honestly, since a lot of people buy beef that says “Product of USA” thinking they are supporting US farmers and ranchers when in reality the beef comes from countries like Brazil, China, New Zealand and Argentina, and then is either processed in the US, or even processed in countries like China, and then just packaged in the US.

 

Born and Raised in USA

Typically means the cow actually comes from an American farmer or rancher

  • More specific than "Product of USA"

  • Indicates the animal was actually born and raised on American soil

  • Still not heavily regulated

 

Certified American Grassfed

  • Third-party certification by organizations like the AGA (American Grassfed Association)

  • Ensures cattle are:

    • Born and raised on American family farms

    • Fed only grass and forage from weaning to harvest

    • Never confined to feedlots

    • Never given antibiotics or growth hormones

 

American Grassfed Association

 

The American Grassfed Association (AGA) is the main certifying body, and their certification standards require:

Diet – Animals are fed only grass and forage from weaning to harvest.

Confinement – Animals are raised on pasture without confinement to feedlots.

Antibiotics and Hormones – Animals are never treated with antibiotics or growth hormones.

Origin – Animals are born and raised on American family farms.

Source: https://www.americangrassfed.org/certification/ 


Animal Welfare Approved by AGW

The Animal Welfare Approved certification by A Greener World (AGW) means that animals are raised outdoors on pasture/range. Certification requires:



 

 

Other Common Terms You'll See

 

Natural

A catch all term that doesn’t mean much. Cows can be raised in feedlots and fed grains and still be labeled as “natural” beef.

  • Minimally processed

  • No artificial ingredients

  • Doesn't say anything about how the animal was raised

  • One of the most misleading labels

Organic

Another term that can be misleading. It can still mean feedlot raised, grain-fed cattle.

What it requires:

  • Access to pasture during grazing season

  • No antibiotics or growth hormones

  • Organic feed (but can still include a grain diet of corn, soybean meal, oats, barley, etc.)

What it doesn't require:

  • 100% grass diet

  • Any specific amount of time on pasture


Free-Range

Yet another term that can be misleading. It can still mean feedlot raised, grain-fed cattle.

  • Must have access to the outdoors

  • No requirements for:

    • Size of outdoor area

    • Time spent outdoors

    • Quality of outdoor space

What to Look For

If you're seeking the highest quality beef, because you care about the quality of meat you are consuming, the welfare of the animal and the impact on the environment, look for these combinations:

  1. "100% Grass-Fed AND Grass-Finished"

  2. "Pasture-Raised AND Grass-Finished"

  3. Third-party certifications like:

    • American Grassfed Association (AGA)

    • Animal Welfare Approved

  4. Better yet, buy your food and meat (beef, steak, lamb, chicken, pork, turkey and eggs) from local farmers! Go to your local farmer’s market. Talk to the farmers and ranchers. Ask them about how they raise their cows, chickens, sheep, pigs and other animals, ask them if their cattle are raised in a pasture their entire lives, and if they feed them grass both during their upbringing and are grass-finished before harvest. Develop a relationship with your local rancher for your knowledge, and to improve the economy of hard-working regenerative farming in your community.



Why These Definitions Matter

The way cattle are raised affects:

  1. Nutritional Value. Grass-fed, grass-finished beef typically has:

    • Better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio

    • Higher in beneficial CLAs

    • More vitamins and minerals

  2. Environmental Impact. Properly managed grass-fed operations can:

    • Improve soil health for future grass, crops and plants

    • Sequester carbon

    • Support natural ecosystems

  3. Animal Welfare. Pasture-raised cattle can:

    • Express natural behaviors

    • Eat their natural diet

    • Live with lower stress levels



A Note from Wild Horizon

At Wild Horizon, we exclusively use 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef from American regenerative ranches that we know personally. We have had extensive conversations with dozens of regenerative ranches about grass-fed, grass-finished beef, ensuring the animals are grain-free and are raised on pastured grazing lands the entirety of their lives. We believe in transparency and want our customers to understand exactly what they're getting: quality beef coming from cows that were raised the way nature intended–grazing on a pasture, eating grass their entire lives.

Remember, these terms can be confusing, and marketing can be misleading. When in doubt, look for specific certifications and don't be afraid to ask questions about where your food comes from. The more we understand these terms, the better choices we can make for our health, the environment, and animal welfare.

 

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