There’s a lot of talk these days about grass-fed beef. And while it sounds like the gold standard, the truth is more nuanced than a label. At Little Mountain Farm & Cattle Co., we believe in being transparent about our animals, and why we choose to finish them on grain.
Here’s what that means, and why it matters when you’re looking for a steak that’s rich, flavorful, and consistently tender.
What’s the Difference?
Grass-fed means cattle eat grass and forage for most of their lives, but maybe not all of it.
Grain-finished means cattle start on pasture but are finished on a carefully managed diet that includes grains like corn, oats, and barley during the final stage of their life, typically 90 to 120 days.
At Little Mountain Farm, our cattle are raised on pasture, just like any grass-fed operation. But in the final stage, we grain-finish to ensure a higher level of marbling, flavor, and tenderness. Here’s why we’re different: Our animals ALWAYS have access to pasture and never stop integrating grass and/or forage in their diets.
Why We Choose Grain-Finished
We’ve raised and eaten beef both ways. But time and time again, our family, and thousands of customers, come back for the rich, buttery texture and depth of flavor that comes from grain-finished beef.
Here’s what grain-finishing brings to the table:
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More marbling: the intramuscular fat that makes a steak juicy and tender
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Consistent flavor: balanced, mellow, and satisfying
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Melt-in-your-mouth texture: especially in premium cuts
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Better grading: which matters if you care about quality
To be clear, our cattle still roam pastures, eat forage, and are never treated with added hormones. But grain-finishing helps us deliver the kind of beef we’re proud to put our name on, and the kind you’ll want to serve again and again.
How Beef Is Graded
In the U.S., beef is graded by the USDA based on two things: marbling (how much intramuscular fat the beef has) and maturity (the age of the animal at processing). The three main grades you’ll find in stores and butcher shops are:
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Select – leaner, less marbling, tends to be less tender
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Choice – moderate marbling, good flavor, common in grocery stores
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Prime – abundant marbling, superior tenderness and flavor (where our beef sits)
Grain-finishing plays a big role here. It helps increase marbling, making Prime more achievable especially for smaller, independent farms like ours. And if you’ve had one of our steaks, you’ve probably tasted the difference.
Our Commitment
We know some people hear “grain-finished” and assume it means shortcuts. But at Little Mountain Farm, that couldn’t be further from how we operate. Grain-finishing takes planning, resources, and time. It means carefully managing what our cattle eat in their final months, not to speed things up, but to improve quality with intention.
The goal isn’t to rush an animal to weight. It’s to support consistent marbling, a balanced fat profile, and a tenderness you can taste in every bite. We monitor our herds closely during this phase, adjusting feed as needed to support both health and flavor. This step is part of the same philosophy that guides everything we do on the farm. Slow, steady, and rooted in care.
When done right, grain-finishing adds value to the entire process. It lets us bring out the full potential of every animal raised on our land, and deliver beef we can stand behind, bite after bite.