Meet Forrest & Jessica Swanson of Walnut Range Farms in Alma, NE!
What Walnut Range Farms offers:
- 100% grass-fed beef (grass-fed, grass, finished)
- Heritage-breed pork
We are blessed to be able to work side by side, doing what we love, caring for the land and animals...
Forrest and Jessica, along with their daughters, are fifth and sixth generation farmers situated on a beautiful ranch in south central Nebraska. Together as Walnut Range Farms, they bring high quality 100% grass-fed USDA Choice or Prime beef that is tender with exceptional marbling to the homes of Nebarskans. Wondering the difference between USDA Select, Choice, and Prime? It's about marbling - learn more here.
People say grass-fed beef doesn't marble well...but it actually depends on the feed and breed!
Marbling refers to the streaks of intramuscular fat in each cut of meat. Marbling impacts tenderness, moistness, and flavor of the beef and is often used as a way to evaluate the quality of steak. It is important to know that marbling is just one way to evaluate meat and if meat is marbled or not depends both on feed (what the animals eats) and the breed (genetics). Although it may be true that grain-finished beef marbles easier, the breed of the cattle will also impact marbling & flavor of the final product. And yes! You can get beautifully marbled grass-fed beef!
Walnut Range Farms raises Scottish Highland and Angus cattle because they marble incredibly well and provide for a delicious tender piece of beef! These two breeds are also well-suited for grazing on pastures, having great conversion rates for turning grass into beef.
If marbling matters to you or you are worried about the taste of grass-fed beef - get to know your local farmer because each ranch can have different breeds of cattle and different grazing systems. These all impact the taste and flavor of the meat. So if you've only tried "grass-fed" beef from the supermarket, try a few local sources! You might be surprised.
