This archive report was first published on 7 August 2019.
Published on August 7, 2019, a new wave of butchers is emerging, driven by a passion for sustainability and a desire to challenge the status quo of the meat industry.
At the heart of this movement is the concept of grassland ranching, a system that relies on grazing animals to regenerate vast swaths of grassland and sequester carbon. This approach is being championed by butchers like Ms. Kavanaugh, who has opened a butcher shop in Colorado, and Joshua Applestone, who founded Fleisher's Grass Fed and Organic Meats in Kingston, N.Y., in 2004.
Ms. Kavanaugh's love for the prairies of Colorado dates back to her childhood, and she has always been drawn to the idea of regenerating the land through sustainable farming practices. When she decided to open a butcher shop, she knew she wanted to source 100-percent-grass-fed animals from ranches that were helping to regenerate the prairies.
However, raising grazing animals on grassland is significantly more expensive than raising steers on feedlots, making the meat more costly for consumers. Ms. Kavanaugh charges $21 a pound for top sirloin steak, compared to $8.99 at a nearby supermarket.
Joshua Applestone, a fourth-generation butcher and former vegetarian, also sought to make sustainable meat more available when he opened Fleisher's. He faced initial resistance from customers who were surprised by the prices, but once they understood the higher costs associated with sourcing high-quality, grass-fed animals, the business took off.
