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If you consider yourself a mindful omnivore, be aware of the American Grassfed Association (AGA). Based in Colorado, the AGA works with ranchers and livestock farmers across the country to promote a more back-to-basics livestock industry by building "a bridge from the farm to the table." I scored some face time with Carrie Balkcom, executive director of AGA, at her office in Denver. She keeps a demanding schedule: "I have been running like crazy, I apologize. My husband says when people call, “Her address? Seat 2A, United.”
I know the AGA began in 2003, but can you tell how it all got started?
Are you familiar with federal registry? Everything that has to do with commerce is posted in the registry, all legal definitions. So the USDA was going to put in the registry the legal definition of grassfed, which was, "You can feed the animals 20 percent grains, confine it with antibiotics, hormones, and call it grassfed." And grassfed producers in this part of the world jumped on it and went, "AAAAAGH!"
So they had a meeting at the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and they invited me because I was on the board of the chef’s collaborative and was teaching at Metro State at the time. I grew up on a cattle ranch in Florida and was pretty well known in the sustainable food circles. All of a sudden I started realizing -- you know you get that little prickly on the back of your neck -- I thought, "This is something I need to be involved in."
So I was at that initial meeting in working on the claim with the USDA. They needed an exec. director and I thought, "I want to do that." So I been here since the first meeting, was on the board. From 2003-2007, I've been working with the USDA to try and solidify the grassfed label claim -- what "grassfed" means on a package.
Up until that point, there was no label or symbol?
Oh, you could use the word "grassfed."
But there was no symbol like the AGA has now, right?
Right, and there was no legal definition, so anybody raising animals anywhere could use the term "grassfed" even if the animals only saw grass in a passing truck ... and some of them only saw grass in a passing truck.
So anyway, in 2007, when the USDA finally published the grassfed label claim that the USDA recognizes, we looked at it and said, "You know guys, thank you very much, but we’re going to go our own way and start our own third-party certified program. Which we did. Because the USDA’s definition of grassfed says the following -- and I’m paraphrasing a little bit -- that it has to be 100 percent foraged diet. However, it does not say where that forage has to be fed. It does not say anything about antibiotics, hormones or animal husbandry. Consumers Union did huge studies on this and said, “That’s not what the public believes is a grassfed animal.”
So, as everybody was applauding ... "Well, it says a 100 percent foraged diet!" Dale Lasater said, “Did you read the complete claim?" So we all started scrambling through the claim. The last couple sentences said, "Oh, by the way. If you must feed grain, keep a record of it." Doesn’t tell you what to do with the record, doesn’t tell you anything about it, so it’s a meaningless claim. It’s up there somewhere with "natural."
Does the USDA’s definition of grassfed still exist?
Yes, it’s what’s in the federal registry. The other thing is that anybody that used the term "grassfed" term prior to the publishing of the definition can still use it until they change their label ... so we’ve got miles to go before we sleep.
Does the USDA have a logo for "grassfed?"
The USDA doesn’t have a logo, and they can’t use our logo. So while we were working with the USDA, we went ahead and trademarked the little symbol that you see. We’ve certified producers, and you’ll start seeing that symbol show up on packages, in retail and in farmer’s markets.
How many products would you say that symbol is on?
Beef, bison, lamb and goat -- in all forms. Dairy as well -- cheeses, milk. Any ruminant animal that is audited by us and fits within our criteria. ('Ruminant' refers to any cud-chewing animal. - Ed.)
How many producers are in your system?
We have 60
