SHEPHERD'S HILL FARM HEALTHY FOOD Shepherd's Hill Farm, located in Eastern Central Vermont, produces 100% free-range, grass-fed lamb, the way nature intended, following organic practices. Because of this, we think our lamb should be classified as a health food. "WE ARE WHAT WE EAT" How many times have you heard that statement? This isn't true just for people - all animals are a product of what they eat. When Humans, as well as all other animals, eat food that our bodies aren't meant to ingest, the eventual result is disease. Perhaps the most startling example of that fact is the recent outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as Mad Cow Disease that has resulted from poor feed. All species of cattle and sheep are herbivores, (vegetarians). However, factory farmers in the United States, Canada and England, in their attempts to raise animals quickly, use grain and feed containing routinely recycled ruminant slaughter waste consisting of various by-products of cattle and sheep, including the spinal column and blood, along with chicken feathers. Is there any wonder why we have disease problems? Ruminants (animals that chew their cud) such as sheep and cattle, as well as all other animals, instinctively know what to eat, and until the 20th century, ruminants only grazed on natural grasses. Like the human hunter-gatherer, ruminants never ate grains until greedy self-interest agricultural giants forced it upon them. Modern industrialization and factory farming practices have forced livestock and grossly influenced humanity to eat foods that are totally unnatural to them as well as extremely unhealthy for them. Besides not being as healthy as grass-fed animals, grain-fed animals can be very unsafe to eat, because they increase the risk of E.coli infection. Grains make the digestive tract of ruminants too acidic, which causes E.coli to multiply and to become more resistant to an acid environment such as a person's stomach. According to Microbes Infect (2000 Jan; 2(1): 45-53), when cattle were fed hay for only five days, the number and acid resistance of E. coli decreased dramatically. EVOLUTIONARY DIET Humans evolved on a diet that was low in saturated fat containing small, almost equal amounts of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fats. Vegetation, fruits, nuts and seeds were an important part of early man's diet, but his mainstay was meat from animals. Our dietary downfall began around 10,000 years ago when we became less of a hunter-gatherer and became farmers. As the human population increased and animals decreased, farming developed into a useful, and necessary alternative. Since the beginning of the 20th century, there has been an enormous change in the human diet, to our detriment in the U.S. Modern agriculture is obsessed with carbohydrates and grain products, which can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, gallbladder disease, degenerative bone diseases, leaky gut syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases and several autoimmune diseases. All grains have an enormous quantity of Omega 6 fatty acids, which unfortunately promote inflammation. They are a poor source of protein and the cause of many allergies. GOOD FATS AND BAD FATS Contrary to popular opinion, not all fats are bad. As a matter of fact, we need certain fats in order to live. Fats are either saturated or unsaturated (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). Perhaps the most important of the unsaturated fats are the polyunsaturated Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids - described as essential, because our bodies can't manufacture them and we must get them from the foods we eat. Omega 6 fatty acids are very abundant and can be found in corn oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and many nuts and seeds. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in meats, dairy, poultry, eggs and fish. Studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids assist in preventing and treat coronary artery disease, hypertension, attention deficit syndrome, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. A diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acids can help eliminate the need for the daily aspirin recommended by so many physicians. OMEGA 6 AND 3 RATIOS When the ratio of Omega 6 fats to Omega 3 fats exceeds 4:1 people develop health problems. Grain fed livestock can have ratios that exceed 20:1, whereas when livestock are grass fed, the ratio is about 3:1. This imbalance whereby Omega 6 fat levels exceed Omega 3 levels is a cause for many of mankind's physical ailments. Scientists estimate that man evolved with an Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio of one to one (1:1) from meat and vegetable sources. Because of modern agriculture practices, vegetable sources now have an estimated Omega 6:3 ratio of 10:1, while meat, poultry, fish and vegetable oils have a ratio ranging from 20 or 25:1. The eggs bought in a supermarket have a ratio of 20:1 whereas range-fed eggs have an Omega 6:3 ratio of 1.5:1. Clearly, the range fed product is superior. Fatty fish are a primary source for omega 3 fatty acids, but since the U.S. dumps approximately 80,000 pounds of mercury into our oceans and waterways every year. Mercury poisoning from eating fish may be more dangerous than excessive omega 6 fat intake. Even the U.S. government warns women to avoid eating fish while pregnant. GRASS FED LIVESTOCK In a study conducted by North Dakota State University on the nutritional differences between grass-fed and grain-fed bison, the results were astounding. The grain-fed bison had Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios of 21:1 and the grass-fed bison had ratios of 4:1. Another study in 1998 at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada found that cattle fed grain for only 120 days had Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios of 11:1 while forage fed cattle had Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios of 3:1. Additional studies by others clearly show that the longer cattle are fed grain, the greater the fatty acid imbalance. Animals can be held in feedlots and subjected to grain feeding for 6 months to over 200 days, which will surely give them a ratio of at least 20:1. The prestigious Journal of Animal Science (2000. 78:2849-2855) stated that grain-fed beef could have an Omega 6:3 ratio higher than 20:1. ORGANIC VERSUS GRASS-FED Organic does not necessarily mean healthier or more nutritious - it means safer. Truly organic foods should be free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, synthetic hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified products, and a multitude of other additives. That alone is healthier for consumption and for the environment. But, is that sufficient? Does it make your food healthy? If we were just talking about fruits and vegetables, the answer would most likely be yes. However, we are concerned with livestock, and just because they eat organic foods that does not necessarily mean that their flesh is healthy or nutritious. In fact, exclusively fed organic grain-fed lamb and beef are probably unhealthy! But, natural grass-fed lamb and beef can be considered as health foods! Health food stores sell all kinds of organic products loaded with sugars, refined carbohydrates, and fats that are damaging to the human body. The word ³organic² basically assures you that a lot of chemicals not fit for human consumption have been eliminated, but there can still be a deficiency in essential nutrients, as well as having an abundance of unwanted carbohydrates. GRASS-FED VERSUS GRAIN-FED Even though organic meat may be free of unnecessary and dangerous chemicals, it is nutritionally inferior to grass-fed meat. Grain-fed meat generally has about 12% less beta-carotene, 35% less Omega-3 fatty acids, 25% less vitamin E, and a drastic reduction in the production of conjugated linoleic acid, a powerful cancer-fighting fatty acid. This is because grains have fewer of these nutrients than fresh grass. Fresh chemical free grass is healthier for livestock to eat. ADVANTAGES OF EATING LAMB FROM SHEPHERD'S HILL FARM Shepherd's Hill Farm lambs are born on the farm and live in an environment free from stress and overcrowding. Our grass-fed lamb is 100% natural. We never feed them hormones, stimulants, antibiotics, or any other product not natural to the animal. Our grass-fed lamb is naturally leaner and healthier for you. Our grass-fed lamb's Omega 3 fat is at the optimal 7% of the total fat content, compared to only 1% in lambs that are exclusively grain-fed. Grain-fed lamb can have over 50% of the total fat being unhealthy saturated fat, whereas, grass-fed lamb usually has less than 10% of its fat being saturated. Our grass-fed lamb has a healthy ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats, that is, 3:1. Our grass-fed lamb is a great source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) a fat that reduces the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a number of immune disorders. CLA also helps convert body fat to lean muscle mass. Our grass-fed lamb has more than twice as much beta-carotene as grain-fed lamb, which has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Our grass-fed lamb is practically free from E.coli contamination, especially the acid resistant strains such as E.coli 0157;H7. Our grass-fed lamb is of the highest order and it tastes good!