A newly formed nonprofit organization aims to educate farmers and food lovers at its first annual conference and festival celebrating pasture-raised foods, and it's all happening right here in Alabama.
     Teddy Gentry, a member of the legendary country band Alabama , is among the people singing the praises of pasture-raised foods—something he knows firsthand. Gentry operates a well-respected pasture-based farm and beef company in DeKalb County.

Teddy Gentry
      This September 11–12, Gentry aims to raise awareness about grass-fed livestock at the first national conference and festival on pasture-raised foods—GrazeFest Alabama 2004.
      The two-day event will bring together leading experts in all fields related to the production of raising high-quality beef, poultry and pork on grass and is expected to draw possibly thousands of regional residents interested in sampling pasture-raised foods.
      Day one of GrazeFest Alabama 2004 will consist of educational seminars and presentations aimed at pasture-based farmers, educators, agriculture students, chefs and culinary students, as well as the general public. Day two features a food festival and series of exhibits aimed at raising consumer awareness of the health, flavor and culinary benefits of pasture-based foods.
      The event is being organized by the U.S. Grass-Fed Society, a new nonprofit formed by Gentry and other leaders in pasture-based farming.
      Pasture-based farming is gaining momentum among experts and consumers alike. Pasture-raised animals are raised solely on grasses and natural forage products, rather than on grains and in confined settings.
      According to a growing number of experts, grass-fed and pasture-raised foods are packed with more health benefits than their conventionally grown and raised counterparts. They also are praised by environmentalists, preferred by animal welfare groups and embraced by chefs.
      GrazeFest Advisory team member Jo Robinson, noted journalist and the author of Pasture Perfect and a GrazeFest Alabama 2004 presenter, has found that pasture-based animals have higher levels of omega-3s, one of the “good fats” that have been linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, ADHD, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, asthma and autoimmune diseases.
      Speakers for the event will include CoAg's own Don Ball , an Extension agronomist and professor of agronomy and soils, who will speak on forages in the Southeast, and Chris Kerth , assistant professor CoAg's Department of Animal Sciences who will discuss the effect of butchering techniques on beef tenderness.
      The conference's second day will be the “public” event—a tasting fair called From the Pasture to the Pit that features the culinary talents of Alabama's best barbeque chefs preparing pit-cooked meats that can be sampled by participants.
      The U.S. Grass Fed Society will award $100 scholarships and a certificate to qualified agriculture students who attend day one and two of GrazeFest Alabama 2004. Two hundred scholarships are available and they are limited to agriculture students currently enrolled in a college or university and planning a career in agriculture.
      For more information about scholarships, contact Kathy Lacy at the U.S. Grass Fed Society at 256-845-3009 or klacy@benttreefarms.com. For more information about the GrazeFest events, contact Eating Fresh Publications at 609-466-1700 or visit www.usgrassfed.com or www.eatingfresh.com.

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