Commitment
Quality
We start with healthy cows grazing in open pasture on healthy grass. Only in the naturally-occurring grasslands of Argentina and Uruguay is year-round pasture available in the quantities that allow us to raise our animals this way.
There are many factors that allow us to produce exceptionally high-quality beef--the breeds we run, the age of the cattle we cull for slaughter, the grass-fed genetics of our animals, their consistent feed source. Its all part of a centuries-old tradition of grass-fed, pasture-raised that has been proven over time to produce delicious, healthy beef.
The safety and testing protocols at our state-of-the-art slaughterhouse means that our meat is clean and fresh. No feedlots. No corner-cutting on safety to lower costs. We ensure the quality of our product from pasture to plate.
Re-thinking Beef
We love beef and the cows and cowboys that make real beef possible. Real beef is delicious, healthy, and sustainable. With cattle ranches in Virginia, California, Uruguay, and Argentina, we are dedicated to introducing grass-fed, pasture-raised beef to the US market.
We love our cows and our cowboys (called gauchos in Argentina and Uruguay). We care for our animals and the land on which they graze. We want everyone to enjoy beef that tastes as good as it is good for you, beef that is sustainable and in synch with the local and global environment. We want people to think more about the beef they eat. When they do, we know they'll choose Estancia.
Food Safety
We have the highest food safety standards in the world. From our protocols on the ranch all the way through to our beef's delivery to our retail and restaurant partners, we lead the industry in traceability and third-party audits.
Informing the Public
We are committed to leading the market in transparency, accountability, and information. With Estancia you know exactly what our animals are eating, where they come from, and how they arrive on your plate. Unlike many producers, we have nothing to hide and a lot (but never feedlots!) to be proud of.
We believe it's important to educate the US market about healthy and delicious grass-fed beef. We are passionate about calling consumer attention to academic studies, newspaper articles, and other research that documents the benefits of producing beef the Estancia way.
Our goal is to make the Estancia blog in our "What's New" section the leading source of unbiased information about healthy beef. We're confident that the more informed you are, the more you'll want to eat our beef.
The Well-Being of Our Animals
Our animals live their entire lives wandering free on the vast naturally-occurring grasslands that are unique to Argentina and Uruguay. They are happy, hearty beasts, and that makes for healthy, tasty beef.
When it comes time for our animals' lives to end, we employ protocols developed by Dr. Temple Grandin in order to ensure that they are never stressed or scared. We owe them dignity and respect. Our cattle are more than just a commodity to be weighed and shipped. We also know that the happier and healthier our animals are, the better our steaks and burgers will taste.
The Environment
Estancia's cattle-raising practices are sustainable and promote long-term stewardship of the land. Our animals graze in open pastures. The grasslands of Argentina and Uruguay are native; there is no clearing of rain-forests or other ecosystems to provide grazing land for our animals. We take care of the environment because we love the land and the creatures who live on it. We also do it because our business depends on it.
Because grass-fed beef production does not rely on fossil fuels in the form of fertilizers, pesticides, and diesel (used in the planting, harvesting, processing, and transportation of the grains (mainly corn) needed to fatten feedlot beef), Estancia has a very small carbon footprint, much smaller than just about every US producer. This is true even after taking into account the fossil fuels required to ship our beef from Uruguay to the US.
