Grazing Days Farm leads the regenerative agriculture charge with meat you can feel good about eating.
As someone who loves animals and enjoys eating meat, I often find myself uncertain at the grocery store. We all know factory farming is terrible for animal welfare, to say nothing of its negative impact on the planet and our bodies. So, is there an alternative?
Paul Slomp is keen to offer one. Slomp grew up on farms–his family came to Rimby, Alberta in 1989 to start a dairy farm–and quickly realized the importance of sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
The grasses, the soil [are] what’s really vital for a good ecosystem. You can’t have healthy animals or crops without healthy grass and soil.
Looking to put this belief into effect, Slomp and life partner Joseé Cyr-Charlebois began searching for the perfect plot. The search brought them to a hundred acres of land in Saint-André-Avellin, Quebec. That was in 2014. Since then, the farm has grown to encompass 370 acres of verdant fields, dotted with happy and healthy animals—primarily cattle. But again, Slomp reminds us that we can’t talk cows until we’ve talked grass.
Photo provided.
Grasslands are vital for soil health—as grasses photosynthesize, they produce sugars, creating an ecosystem for birds and insects. Grazing cattle keeps the grasses in photosynthesis longer, strengthening the ecosystem. And while grasses may have a lower yield volume than grains, the facts that they’re perennial plants (which do not need replanting) and are more effective at capturing carbon to aid in soil maturity make for solid arguments to keep cattle grazing in the pastures.
“Cows are made to eat grass,” says Slomp. “Because of their compartment stomachs, they’re designed to get energy out of grass. Other animals can’t do that. Again, it’s just as much about the grass as it is the cattle.” Slomp’s herd are mostly Angus, a breed that does extremely well on an all-grass diet.
The cows are living as they’re meant to. Outside, in the sunlight, moving from pasture to pasture, eating what nature intended for them. Which makes their meat better and more nutritionally dense.
When farmers work with animals in the way that they’re supposed to live, we all benefit. “Our meat is meat you can feel good about,” says Slomp. “The animals are happy, and we raise them in a way that’s good for the environment.”
Pasture-raised pigs. Photo provided.
In addition to cows, Grazing Days raises chickens on-site and is responsible for off-site pigs, all raised under the farm’s organic protocols, and free of artificial hormones and antibiotics. Occasionally, however, the farm takes in animals without a full medical history. Wanting to give these animals a good life but wishing to remain transparent, Slomp came up with Grazing Days’ Green and Blue Stream programs.
“The Green Stream is for animals we can vouch for 100% of the way,” says Slomp. “These are the ones we’ve raised from birth under our own protocols. Blue Stream represents mainly older animals who’ve come under our stewardship. These animals may have received therapeutic treatment antibiotics for humane purposes.”
Why offer these animals at all if championing organic protocols is of such importance? Well, compassion, for one reason. “If you look at organic standards, animals that have been exposed to antibiotics can no longer be certified organic,” explains Slomp. “This means that a lot of these animals get sent to the conventional stream—AKA: factory farms. We’d rather keep these animals happy on our farm, even if we can’t sell them as organic.”
Photo provided.
Meat can be purchased from Grazing Days either as part of an annual community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscription or by the cut directly from their website. I became aware of the quality of their meat when I began receiving it as part of my farm box from Aliments Farmhouse Food. The difference in taste and quality is like night and day compared to supermarkets. They have every cut of beef and pork one could imagine, ground meat, sausages, burgers and more. It may be anecdotal, but I enjoy cooking more when using their meat. And the results are consistently satisfying and delicious.
Paul Slomp, Joseé Cyr-Charlebois and their family on the farm. Photo provided.
Looking to the future, Slomp will continue to run the farm his way—good for the animals and the environment. Farm tours are being tentatively planned for May through November. “I just have to figure out how to make them exciting and fun for the kids, but stay on message for the adults,” he laughs.
We can no longer ignore the harm that conventional factory farming of meat does to animals, our ecosystem, and our bodies. Luckily, people like Paul Slomp and his family at Grazing Days help us make better choices about the meat we eat.
Grazing Days Farm is located at 567 Rang Ste. Julie Est, Saint-André-Avellin, Que. For information on ordering their products, follow them on Instagram @grazingdays or visit grazingdays.ca.
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