Another positive article for grass fed Dexter - found this on the net - more good commen

Denise · Post by **Denise** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:25 pm

Hi all, found this trolling thru the news on the net - nice, positive stuff.

check out this link

http://www.metro.co.uk/lifesty....ur-beef

wished the piccie had been of a better covered animal - although I keep forgetting u guys are coming out of winter!
Happy Spring!

ann · Post by **ann** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:59 pm

Nice article but I'm with you on the picture, at least spring is hopefully round the corner and the price of hay and silage is starting to come down as people realize that they are not going to use all they have and are wanting to get the best prices for it.

I was very lucky and although I could have done with a bit more silage and have had to buy some in at least it is very good quality and I'm having to ration some of mine as they are getting to fat.

davidw · Post by **davidw** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 11:01 pm

I took a train to London today and the article covered a full page of the free Metro newspaper. The photograph of the Dexter steer was reduced to a thumbprint at the bottom of the page, the main photograph was of the chef with a side of beef on his shoulder.

Denise · Post by **Denise** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 10:57 am

Oh thats good David W - so pleased as good ole Joe Public r pretty dumb and just dont understand.

Yes as youre going into spring, we have had - on the East Coast, one of the wettest summers for years (and although the floods and cyclones of Qld and Vic were NOT good), so we go into autumn with more feed and fatter beasts than for years, and hay prices are quite reasonable because of the flush of feed.

Minnie · Post by **Minnie** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 11:51 pm

Hi Denise,

Depends where you're hay comes from, ours comes from Queensland.

And we've had 60mm in two days and we've got boggy ground and flooding creek again!

So the bladey grass is 'tall' and the tractor can't help because it will get bogged, already got the car bogged yesterday. :;):

We're trying to get our cattle in good nick before winter, all the rain means not the best nutritional value in our sub-tropical grasses.

Not complaining though, it's better than the alternative of drought and fire. :laugh:

Vicki

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:21 am

It is a very good article but the pic is a let down. It looks like an animal that needs something to eat and it has been taken with a wide angle lens to make it looks worse. Still a good article though. The comments on the fine grain of the beef explains it well.

moomin · Post by **moomin** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 9:46 pm

I am as shocked as you all about the picture and not a little upset.
It is appalling, but I cannot do anything about it.
The reporter came the first week in December.
The photographer took 'photos of the chef in our cutting room - a good photo I thought.
We then went to look at cattle on conservation grazing over the White Cliffs of Dover. It had been snowing previously and there was quite a lot of snow lying .
A friend pointed out to me that there was no snow in the photo' of the cow. We can't recognise the grazing either.
The animal looks like a 15-18 month heifer by its horn shape and growth. Obviously not old enough to kill. I wish I could see its eartag number!
In case you think my animals are underfed I suggest you look at the finish on the hindquarter of beef on the chefs shoulder!
My outlying store cattle have had big bale hay available all winter, a crystalyx lick and sugar beet fed every day. They have cost a fortune this winter.
I have just collected some from outlying grazing today and they are well fleshed and fit for slaughter.
Thank goodness it was only a thumbnail in the paper.
Never trust reporters!
Di

Basil · Post by **Basil** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 10:01 pm

We went to see Di's cattle on the cliffs at Dover, none of them looked like this at all. We actually remarked that they were too good looking to be used for beef, but that is what Di does. The background doesn't look anything like the ground where Di's cattle were either. Perhaps someone will let us all know where this photo was taken. Kelvin & Lottie James

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 5:05 am

moomin wrote:I am as shocked as you all about the picture and not a little upset.
It is appalling, but I cannot do anything about it.

Just as a note Di, I wasn't criticising the animal, I was criticising the photo.

Like yourself, we've had a number of articles done and never had any control. For one county magazine they did a three page spread and they were here ages taking photos and talking to us. Then what did they do after al that effort, they printed, fully blown up as the main photo, probably the worst cow on our farm when she was half asleep, it was dreadful!

We just had another article done a few weeks ago, so this time I asked whether we could decide which photos were used. The reporter said that even she didn't get any input. She said the editor chose the photos, end of...... So I literally went round with the photographer and made sure he didn't photograph anything I didn't want him to and that he didn't use a wide angle.

So you won't see any photos of my lovely brindle :D

Edited By Broomcroft on 1299211829

Denise · Post by **Denise** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:26 am

hi Di, there was no criticsm of youre herd - Ive heard too many positives about youre animals - its just the photo doesnt do much for us does it - it could even be a stock piccie that theyve had for ages - u just dont ever really know!

I thought it was a super article with the added bonus of the chef being "of dexter pedigree" himself!!!!
regards from Down under

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 10:11 am

The article is brilliant, if I didn't already eat dexter meat, it would certainly interest me enough to want to go out and find some to taste.

Whilst it could have been a better photo and I understand that Di would be annoyed! I don't think it is anything to worry about, the animal isn't dangerously thin and I don't think non dexter folk would think twice about it, they would most probably just think it was unfinished.

Many thanks to Di on getting the message across about the great flavour of dexter meat and promoting it so well.

Stephanie

domsmith · Post by **domsmith** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:54 pm

i Got given a hard copy of this, all the way up here in Sanquhar.
A friend of a friend thought i would be interested. They were fascinated and brought it from London.

great article, forget the picture no one other than cattle breaders would ever even notice or care about the stirk. they will just think what a quirky little cow.

good article the start of the revolution!