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FROM REGENERATION INTERNATIONAL

Regenerative systems improve the environment, soil, plants, animal welfare, health, and communities.

The opposite of Regenerative is Degenerative.

This is an essential distinction in determining practices that are not regenerative.

Agricultural systems that use Degenerative Practices and inputs that damage the environment, soil, health, genes, and communities and involve animal cruelty are not regenerative.

The use of synthetic toxic pesticides, synthetic water-soluble fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, confined animal feeding operations, exploitive marketing and wage systems, destructive tillage systems, and the clearing of high-value ecosystems are examples of degenerative practices.

Such systems must be called degenerative agriculture to stop greenwashing and hijacking.

Regeneration International asserts that to heal our planet, all agricultural systems should be regenerative, organic, and based on the science of agroecology.

Audubon protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow.

Across aisles. Across landscapes. Across borders. When it comes to our environment, birds are a uniting force. Birds cross borders, from neighborhoods to states and beyond, migrating tens of thousands of miles across multiple countries from one tip of the planet to the other. And so do we. Audubon’s hemispheric approach recognizes that the majority of bird species in the Americas migrate annually between Canada, the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Audubon’s programs are like the birds—unencumbered by political boundaries and seamlessly integrated across the Western Hemisphere.

Incorporated in 1905, the National Audubon Society is one of the oldest and most effective bird conservation organizations in the Western Hemisphere. Audubon has more than 650 staff and a score of partner organizations working in 10 countries. Audubon also has an extensive network of community and campus chapters working on behalf of birds and people in their local areas.

You can read about Audubon Conservation HERE.

Yes, for a speaking fee plus travel costs (airfare, lodging, and an agreed upon food per diem).  We have a diverse array of topics we can speak on.  If you have a specific topic you would like us to present please message us and we will be happy to discuss further.

We are known for the following:

* Grass-Finished
The overwhelming majority of cattle in the United States are “fattened up” on corn in feedlots. Cattle fattened in feedlots are fed small amounts of hay supplemented with grain, soy and other ingredients in order to increase the energy density of the diet. The debate is whether cattle should be raised on diets primarily composed of pasture (grass) or a concentrated diet of grain, soy, corn and other supplements.

We don’t think the practice above is best for cows, for the environment and, most important, for your health. So, we do things a bit differently for you and your family. We know you care about what your family eats … well, so do we!

Our cattle are raised 100% on grass for their entire lives. We move them to new pastures daily … sometimes twice a day. This way they have access to the freshest, most lush forage, and provide the rich fertilizer our pastures need to thrive. And, we give them fresh water daily from our well.

Our cows are never fed grain of any kind! Just ask American Grassfed, which audits our ranch every 15 months.

* Pasture Raised
There’s just something about watching chickens on pasture. They’re natural hunters and foragers, eating grass, snagging insects and scratching for earthworms. But there’s another reason we insist our chickens have complete access to pasture; they are our sanitation crew.

You see, chickens love to follow behind cows, just as wild birds followed the buffalo across the Great Plains. They have a symbiotic relationship, cleaning up behind the cows by scratching through cow dung.

What the chickens are doing is hunting for fly larvae, which gives them the protein they crave. Ignore those “vegetarian diet” claims you see on egg boxes, because chickens are not vegetarians, as every cricket and earthworm knows.

As they hunt for larvae they are also spreading the manure, incorporating it into the soil. This not only hastens the breakdown of the fertilizer, but also allows the cows to more fully graze the pasture when they return. You see, cows won’t graze near one of their own fertilizer spots (this is to avoid parasites).

So the chickens fix it where it’s gone by the time they return and they’re free to graze the entire paddock!

Everyone wins! The soil is enriched, the cows are happy, the chickens live a great life outdoors and you get the most nutritious eggs and chicken imaginable!

* No Animal By-Products
Never fed any animal by-products EVER. We want what you want … honest, clean food. Enough said.

No Artificial Hormones, Steroids, Drugs or Antibiotics

Our cattle grow completely naturally. That means they’re born on pasture and spend their entire lives on our pastures. If you live in Denver, Colorado Springs, Elizabeth or surrounding areas, you know we have great pastures out here. Our cows know it too.

Our cows are never fed anything but grass and minerals. And, of course, we never give drugs or antibiotics. If an animal were to get sick, it would just be removed from the herd.

* Non-GMO, Soy-Free & No Corn!
Our animals don’t want genetically modified organisms in their feed, and we don’t want to eat GMO foods ourselves. Therefore, our chickens are never fed anything that contains GMO grains, and our layer hens and broilers are never fed soy products.

It makes no sense to use so much American farmland to grow corn and soy for livestock feed, when animals are perfectly capable (and thrilled) to harvest and hunt for their own food. If only they were allowed to do so.

On Rafter W Ranch, they are. So our sheep, cows, hens and broilers are never fed corn. Why is this important? Because 80-90% of corn is GMO and we don’t want to eat GMO’s if we can avoid it.

* Dry-Aged
We dry age our beef for 28-30 days because aging refrigerated meat that long allows enzymes naturally present in the meat to break down the muscle tissue, resulting in improved texture and flavor.

When we dry age our organic grass-fed beef, the whole carcass is held fresh and is exposed to the air so that dehydration can further concentrate the meat’s flavor.

Of course, this process is costly because the meat loses weight from dehydration the longer it is aged, but ultimately results in a more tender, flavorful product.

And, let’s be honest … when you buy dry aged beef you’re not paying for excess water, which you would be if you bought beef that wasn’t dry aged.

Great question. Our ranch is located in Simla, Colorado, about 75 to 90 minutes to the southeast of Denver International Airport.  You can read more about our ranch here: rafterwranch.net.

Instead of trying to tell you “Who We Are” and dazzle you with our certifications from the American Grassfed Association, or Audubon, or even impress you with terms like Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, or Non-GMO, we’d rather tell you “Why We Are”.

It’s  actually pretty simple.  We know that you care about what your family eats, well, so do we.  We exist so that your family can eat the same delicious, healthy food, that we eat.

Costs are determined by a lot of factors (some listed below).

• Service
• Time Frame (How long is the project or can it become)
• Complexity of Work
• Travel (If applicable)
  
• Sense of Urgency

These are just some of the factors that can determine your costs. Please feel free to reach out to us to discuss.