Episode 328: Big Picture Beef

When it comes to beef, farmer Ridge Shinn has been on a mission to get other producers and eaters to see the “big picture” for decades. “It’s the local and global perspective of our company—the awareness that soil health is the foundation of human health, and that restoring soil fertility and structure is key to solving many of today’s most confounding problems, including droughts and floods and climate change. It’s also my conviction that each region should be producing its own food, and that 100% grass-fed beef can revive the agricultural economy in the Northeast as well as benefit the environment.” In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Shinn about the new company he created—Big Picture Beef—to help move that perspective forward, how he’s helping farmers transition from grain- to grass-finishing, the market impacts of imported grass-fed beef, the environmental benefits (like carbon sequestration) of rotational grazing, and more.