Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is Dakota Farms™ All-Natural Beef better for you than other natural beef?
- What does “natural beef” mean to Dakota Farms™?
- What is the difference between a withdrawal program and a never-ever program?
- Why is Dakota Farms™ focused on the tenderness of meat?
- Why does Dakota Farms™ ban the use of growth hormones for its cattle?
- Why does Dakota Farms™ ban the use of antibiotics?
- What happens to the animals that do get sick if you don’t give them antibiotics?
- Why doesn’t Dakota Farms™ grade its beef; doesn’t the grade of beef guarantee tenderness?
- Is natural beef better for you?
- Why does All-Natural meat cost more than commodity beef?
- What are Dakota Farms™ cattle fed?
- Where is Dakota Farms™ natural beef raised?
- Are Dakota Farms™ animals well taken care of?
- Does Dakota Farms™ source a specific breed of cattle?
- What is the affiliation between Dakota Farms™ and North Dakota State University?
- What is the ND Beef Systems Center of Excellence?
- What makes a farm sustainable?
- What does source verification and traceability mean?
- How can I get my butcher to carry Dakota Farms™ natural beef?
- How can you be sure all Dakota Farms™ protocols are being adhered to?
- What is the dry aging and wet aging process for beef?
- What’s the best steak?
Answers
1. Why is Dakota Farms™ All-Natural Beef better for you than other natural beef?
Dakota Farms™ is proud to be a Never-Ever program for both growth hormones and antibiotics. While other natural beef product programs may be similar to Dakota Farms™, many of them rely on withdrawal program for antibiotics instead of a Never-Ever program like Dakota Farms™ products. Dakota Farms™ also guarantees that our natural beef will be tender or we will double your money back.
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2. What does “natural beef” mean to Dakota Farms™?
The term “natural” has been misused by so many food companies that to many it is meaningless. The USDA defines “natural meat” as meat that is minimally processed without any preservatives. Dakota Farms™ defines “natural” as a Never-Ever Growth Hormone and Never-Ever Antibiotic program. Animals are raised on feed that is free of antibiotics and animal by-products, allowing them to mature naturally without using growth hormones.
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3. What is the difference between a withdrawal program and a never-ever program?
A withdrawal program allows the use of growth hormones and/or antibiotics throughout the animal’s life until a period of time directly before harvest. This period of time is called a “withdrawal” phase. After this phase ends, residues may still exist in the meat. A never-ever program prohibits the use of growth hormones and antibiotics during the entire life of an animal. Dakota Farms™ markets a Never-Ever product. The effects of hormones and antibiotics on the meat for both the animal’s health and human consumption is currently being studied by research institutions around the world.
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4. Why is Dakota Farms™ focused on the tenderness of meat?
Dakota Farms™ natural beef exceeds consumer expectations. Tenderness of meat is the biggest variable when compared to flavor and taste attributes and yet it is what consumers want and expect from their purchase of meat. Tender meat improves the pleasure of eating a good steak. A consumer should not have to work at getting to the flavor. Meeting these consumer expectations leads to repeat business through consumer satisfaction.
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5. Why does Dakota Farms™ ban the use of growth hormones for its cattle?
Growth hormones are used in over 90% of the conventional cattle production in the United States. They are used to increase the rate of lean muscle growth at a rapid pace. Dakota Farms™ natural beef is a Never-Ever Growth Hormone product, raised by ranchers who follow the experience of their fathers and grandfathers before them. Our natural beef are not hurried to reach a weight by the use of supplemental growth promotants. Growth promotants can generate more variation in beef tenderness. Since this is an aspect of production that we can control, our dedication to providing consumers with the most consistent, tender product makes the production decision to eliminate the use of growth hormones a simple one. Growth hormones raise not only human health concerns but animal health concerns as well. In fact, all of the countries in Europe ban the use of growth hormones.
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6. Why does Dakota Farms™ ban the use of antibiotics?
Dakota Farms™ natural beef is proud to produce a Never-Ever Antibiotic product. This allows for the best-tasting meat using natural and traditional methods. Animals raised in this compassionate environment are largely healthy, and do not need antibiotics in their daily feed. There are significant concerns for human and animal health from the use of antibiotics in animal feeds. Animals requiring antibiotics are treated if necessary for their health and are then removed from our program.
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7. What happens to the animals that do get sick if you don’t give them antibiotics?
Dakota Farms™ is dedicated to the welfare of the animals. Sick animals are treated with the necessary care to make them healthy again. These cattle are then removed from the program and sold through the traditional commodity market. They are no longer eligible for the Dakota Farms program.
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8. Why doesn’t Dakota Farms™ grade its beef; doesn’t the grade of beef guarantee tenderness?
Knowing consumers evaluate their beef eating experience based upon tenderness and taste, the USDA beef grading system does little or nothing to enhance this aspect of an enjoyable eating experience for consumers. This USDA beef grading system has been basically unchanged since 1926 and is based off of three grading criteria: age of the animal (maturity), marbling in the ribeye and lean color. Marbling explains only 5% of the variability in the tenderness of meat. Dakota Farms™ natural beef goes through tenderness protocols to guarantee that our beef exceeds your expectations. These protocols include, but are not limited to: aging of the product, the age of the animal at harvest time, the genetics and breeding of the animal and the feeding ration required of our producers. In fact, we guarantee that our beef will be tender or we will give you 200% of your money back!
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9. Is natural beef better for you?
There is a great deal of evidence that shows natural beef is healthier for consumption, despite the fact that there are no studies showing that it is better for you. Our Dakota Farms™ natural beef products have never been subjected to growth hormones or antibiotics -- ever! Natural beef simply tastes better.™
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10. Why does All-Natural meat cost more than commodity beef?
Because of the lack of growth hormones in Dakota Farms™ Never-Ever growth hormone beef, animals take a longer time to mature and finish than do commodity cattle. This results in more feed, time and care going into the production of natural beef to get them to an acceptable weight.
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11. What are Dakota Farms™ cattle fed?
Our cattle are pasture-raised for the majority of their lives, and then fed a grain ration in the finishing process that allows a consistent high quality product year-round. By finishing the cattle with a corn-based ration, Dakota Farms™ products are consistently tender and have a beefier taste than cattle that are strictly grass-fed. Their ration is also 100% vegetarian, containing no animal by-products.
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12. Where is Dakota Farms™ natural beef raised?
All of our natural beef is raised from birth on Dakota farms. We can track animals through the entire process, ensuring that you receive the safest, most consistent product possible.
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13. Are Dakota Farms™ animals well taken care of?
All Dakota Farms™ natural beef producers adhere to an animal well-being protocol set forth by our company. Animal care that is compassionate, as well as in an environment that is well suited for beef cattle, is a requirement for Dakota Farms™ natural beef producers. Our farmers and ranchers have strong care ethics for not only the animals, but for the land, plants and people they work with.
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14. Does Dakota Farms™ source a specific breed of cattle?
We are not breed specific, but we are specific when it comes to the type of cattle sourced and the product we produce. All of our cattle must meet our strict protocols that range from what they are fed to how they are treated, to produce the most tender and consistent product possible. North Dakota Natural Beef does this by sourcing cattle that are of Box Taurus genetics and not Bos Indicus.
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15. What is the affiliation between Dakota Farms™ and North Dakota State University?
Dakota Farms™, the brand of North Dakota Natural Beef, has a partnership with North Dakota State University that will allow for benefits for both parties. NDSU will have a meat laboratory as well as a classroom in NDNB’s facility in Fargo. This will allow NDSU students to get hands-on experience, preparing them for their futures in the meat industry. North Dakota Natural Beef will also have researchers close at hand to continually improve the quality of our natural beef products, directly benefiting consumers.
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16. What is the ND Beef Systems Center of Excellence?
The Beef Systems Center of Excellence is simply that. The objectives of the Beef Systems Center of Excellence are to provide economic development, teaching and research related to the North Dakota beef industry. By having a partnership with North Dakota Natural Beef, the Beef Systems Center of Excellence has enhanced research capabilities in the meat industry. Through these research capabilities, consumers will continually be receiving the best product possible for consumption.
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17. What makes a farm sustainable?
Sustainable agriculture strengthens rural America and is an important aspect to help reverse the destruction of industrial agriculture. Family farmers and ranchers pass on their years of knowledge to the generations that follow them, ensuring that farming will continue to prosper for America in the future. A farm is sustainable when it is operated under the principles of environmental stewardship and animal welfare. Dakota Farms™ cattle are raised in an environment in which the farmers and ranchers care for the land just as much as they do for their families.
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18. What does source verification and traceability mean?
Dakota Farms™ natural beef can trace their product back to the ranch where the animal was born. We know where it came from and have access to records on how it was raised through our beef cattle producer affidavit system. Having this information allows us to work closely with the ranchers that supply our customers with the best beef available.
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19. How can I get my butcher to carry Dakota Farms™ natural beef?
First, ask your butcher why he or she is not carrying natural beef. Second, let us know! Dakota Farms™ is still finding new locations that sell natural beef. We may not have heard of your favorite store yet. If your butcher is already carrying natural beef, but not the Dakota Farms™ brand, print this questionnaire out and take it to your butcher to show them that there is a better natural beef product. Dakota Farms™ natural beef is a never-ever product for both growth hormones and antibiotics and is also guaranteed to be tender or double your money back.
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20. How can you be sure all Dakota Farms™ protocols are being adhered to?
Dakota Farms™ has taken several steps to ensure that our farmers and ranchers are fully compliant with our protocols, foremost of which is the right to conduct unannounced audits to verify the affidavits they are required to sign. If any of our farmers or ranchers violate this agreement, then we do not accept their animals. The majority of farmers and ranchers in our program were already following our protocols, as they are avid implementers of environmental and animal welfare, along with a natural production regimen. This makes certain that they are true believers of our program.
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21. What is the dry aging and wet aging process for beef?
Aging is a process that brings a deeper, richer flavor to beef and allows for it to be more tender than meat that is not aged. It enhances the flavor in cuts of meat that are well-marbled and have fat cover. When meat is being dry aged, carcasses are hung in a refrigerated, controlled environment. This process takes longer than wet aging. During the wet aging process, the meat and all of its juices are vacuum sealed in plastic.
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22. What's the best steak?
The best steak depends on personal preference, but all cuts have something great to offer.
- Filet Mignon - most tender, lean and a subtle flavor
- New York Strip - classic steakhouse cut: tender, flavorful, and juicy
- Rib Eye - rich flavor and buttery, more marbling than most other cuts
- Top Sirloin - a good value, juicy and flavorful, medium tenderness, lean
- Flank - very lean, absorbs marinades wonderfully
- Flat Iron - rich chuck flavor, second most tender steak
- Hanger - medium tenderness, tough when over cooked
- Skirt - marinates well, classic in many Latin cuisines
- T-Bone - a balanced combination of tenderness and flavor
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