The Brandt family has been in the livestock and farming business since the early 1900s and started raising cattle commercially in 1945. With the onset of consumer concerns regarding hormones and antibiotics in the early 1990s, the Brandt family made a decision to go against the industry standard and raise their animals naturally. Today, Brandt Beef is proud to be feeding its animals a vegetarian corn-based diet with organic alfalfa grown right on the Brandt farm for more than 365 days without hormones or the use of antibiotics. Brant Beef uses the following practices when raising their cattle:
- Brandt Beef employs crop rotation practices to maintain healthy soil for growing the alfalfa for its animals’ feed.
- Brandt Beef composts its animals’ waste to enrich the land. Utilizing the compost has allowed the Brandt family’s farming operation to nearly eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Local farmers even purchase the compost to use in their own farming.
- Brandt Beef uses flood irrigation to attract native birds which act as natural pesticides by eliminating unwanted insects from Brandt’s fields.
- Lady bugs are released on Brandt’s fields to naturally combat aphids.
- Brandt Beef works with the Imperial Valley’s burrowing owls, which act as natural predators that rid the fields of pests.
You can find Brandt Beef at Farmers Markets around San Diego. For more information on their farm and where to get some of their delicious beef go to their website at www.brandtbeef.com.