Raising Range Fed Beef - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

One ranch is saying good-bye grain....Hello Grass.

Ag Reporter Sarah Gustin takes you southwest of Steele for the story.

3 years ago Carrie Knutson changed these cows' diet.

Today her range fed beef is in high demand.

(Carrie Knutson / Rancher) "It starts mostly word of mouth and then it kinda sells itself after that."

Knutson says her cows don't get any grain, silage and very few medications.

(Carrie Knutson / Rancher) "I just feel it's more healthy for the cattle and I need to use the cattle to utilize the other parts of the farm also. So it kinda works all together."

(Sarah Gustin / sgustin@kxnet.com) "There are no cash crops raised at Prairie Diamond Ranch. Carrie says they raise only forages to get their cattle through the winter."

(Carrie Knutson / Rancher) "They are on grass and in the winter I put up oats, tritiacle, peas. It's all forage. They don't get grain or corn silage. It seems to work out good." 

She says there's a difference you can see.

(Carrie Knutson / Rancher) "It's the color and then the texture and it's less fatty also." 

And a customers often comment there's a difference you can taste.

(Carrie Knutson / Rancher) "They like it, they like it. It's a big difference to them between the store bought. They like it because they want to know where their beef is coming from and they want to know their farmer."

Knutson even started adding some special bloodlines into the herd, like albrocs from France.

(Carrie Knutson / Rancher) "I felt it would be better to find something that would finish better on grass." 

A grain free change, Knutson says she wouldn't change.

Knutson says she has customers from Bismarck and Minot buying beef by the quarter and the half.