Understanding what’s on the label, and what’s behind it.
There’s a lot of confusion around beef labels. Grass-fed. Grass-finished. Grain-finished. Pasture-raised. Naturally raised. It’s no wonder people are unsure what they’re actually buying. One of the most common misconceptions is:
If it’s grain-finished, that means it wasn’t grass-fed.
That’s not the case. At least not here.
What It Actually Means
At Little Mountain Farm & Cattle Co., every one of our animals is grass-fed, raised on pasture, foraging freely for all of their life. They’re never raised in confinement. Never rushed through growth cycles. Never given added hormones to hit production numbers.
In the final few months, we introduce a carefully balanced grain ration. That’s what grain-finished means. It’s not a replacement for pasture. It’s a finishing strategy. Designed to develop marbling, improve tenderness, and give our beef the rich, consistent flavor our customers love.
Why the Distinction Matters
Some industrial feedlots start cattle on grain early and finish them that way without any access to forage. That’s not what we do.
Grain-finishing at Little Mountain Farm comes after months of pasture life. Our cattle grow slowly, move through open fields. When the time comes to finish, we do it intentionally, and always with the animal’s health and comfort in mind.
So yes, our beef is grain-finished. But it's grass-fed until the end, too And proudly so.
The Trouble with Labels
Labels can oversimplify what’s actually a complex, hands-on process. “Grass-fed” sounds good, but it doesn’t always tell you the full story. Some beef labeled grass-fed may come from cattle raised entirely on pasture, while others may just meet a minimum standard. And many producers leave out the finishing phase entirely.
We don’t play games with fine print. If you’ve got questions about how our beef is raised, we’ll give you straight answers. Because when you know your farmer, you shouldn’t have to guess.
Our Process, Start to Finish
We finish our cattle on grain because we want our beef to meet a higher standard, in tenderness, flavor, and grading. But the foundation is always grass. Open pasture, rotational grazing, and slow, steady growth. That’s what makes our beef different.
Want to know what you’re really eating?
Get to know your farmer.
And if you're looking for beef that’s raised with care and finished with purpose, you’re in the right place.