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Health concerns spurred Lauren and Gary Nitschke to go grass-fed
Whatever the downsides to social media, one of its biggest benefits is that it enables users to make professional connections with like-minded people, some of whom live far away from you. And sometimes those connections blossom into friendships.
About two years ago, I received a LinkedIn message from Lauren Nitschke, who with her husband Gary Nitschke raises beef cattle on pasture in Waurika, a rural city in southern Oklahoma that is located about 140 miles north of the couple's previous home in Dallas, Texas.
Lauren had discovered Local Food Forum through the LinkedIn page of Greg Gunthorp, a pioneering sustainable livestock farmer in northeast Indiana who I have known for many years. This led to a lot of back-and-forth conversation about our shared cause of building a better food system.
Not long ago, I invited Lauren to share her grass-fed and regenerative farming journey with Local Food Forum, and this article is the result. One of my goals for 2025 is to publish more content about issues we care about from around the nation, so we can all learn from each other. Please read Lauren's story, and I hope you agree that our goal is off to a very good start.
From Setbacks to Sustainability: How Grassfed Beef and Regenerative Farming Changed Our Lives
by Lauren Nitschke, contributing writer
Life has a way of throwing curveballs, and after some significant health setbacks following the birth of our children, my husband and I knew it was time to make a big change.
At first, the plan seemed simple: eat healthier, move more, and prioritize wellness. And while that was a good start, it didn’t take long for us to realize there was a deeper story behind the food on our plates.
As we dug into what goes into the food we eat — from how it’s grown to how it’s raised — we couldn’t ignore the facts. Like many others searching for something better, we longed for meat we could trust, something better than what the grocery stores had to offer.
That’s when we discovered grass-fed and grass-finished beef. The more we learned, the more convinced we became: This wasn’t just a healthier choice for us — it was a better choice for our planet's degraded soils and definitely for future generations.
The Grass-fed and Grass-Finished Difference
Grass fed and finished beef isn’t just a trendy label. It’s a philosophy rooted in both health and sustainability.
Unlike conventionally raised cattle, which often spend their final months in feedlots consuming grain and seed-based diets, our cattle graze on pastures for their entire lives. This difference is profound, positively impacting the meat’s nutritional profile, the animal’s well-being, and the health of the land itself.
When we made the switch, we immediately noticed the difference — not just in flavor but in peace of mind. Grass-fed beef is higher in omega-3 fatty acids, contains more vitamins such as A and E, and is free from the added hormones and antibiotics commonly used in conventional and industrial ranching.
But beyond health benefits, the impact on the land was equally compelling. Regenerative grazing practices allow pastures to thrive, promoting biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and preventing soil erosion.
Discovering Regenerative Agriculture
Our journey didn’t stop with beef. The more we learned, the more we realized that regenerative agriculture was about so much more than meat. It’s a holistic approach to farming that restores ecosystems, builds soil health, and creates food systems that benefit everyone involved — from the farmer to the consumer.
For example, in vineyards, regenerative practices such as cover cropping between rows of vines, no toxic chemicals applied, and reduced tillage create healthier soils and stronger vines. These techniques don’t just produce better wine; they also address climate instability by drawing carbon into the soil.
As wine lovers, this was a revelation for us, and a scary one at that. It turns out that most grapes grown and the wines produced don't follow these practices. Why work so hard to clean up what's on our plates when what's in our glass defeats all that effort?
In 2003, my husband took over management of his family's cattle ranch after his father passed on. We lived two hours away and had a non-agriculture business plus a daughter still in high school. And we had a lot to learn about running a working ranch.
It proved a blessing because there were no agricultural "bad habits" to unlearn. After several starts and stops, we agreed that the grass-fed and -finished model was doable and a highly desirable path to follow.
Attending a well-timed meeting during the infancy of the American Grassfed Association (AGA) in 2007 was a true turning point for our Circle N ranch. Not only did that yield highly beneficial relationships with like-minded ranchers; it began our journey to becoming an AGA Certified Grassfed operation and part of the Grassfed Livestock Alliance.
That Alliance had just begun providing the Southwest Region of Whole Foods Market with a weekly supply of fresh grass-fed and -finished beef. Our direct-to-consumer business began at the same time in the Dallas area where we lived, and where people were literally hungry for our product.
Fast forward a few years: Our Nitschke Natural (All Pasture All the Time) Beef had a loyal base of customers, and many of them were searching for a better wine option as well. We had tried all the readily available organic and natural wines we could find, but the quality just wasn't something we could recommend, nor enjoy ourselves.
In early 2020, a school friend and NNB customer let me know about the "new kid in town," a woman-owned winery called Scout & Cellar that was founded to source exactly what we were looking for and to make these wines widely available to people just like us.
They proved delicious and it was a perfect fit! Suddenly, the bottle on our table represented not just enjoyment, but a commitment to something bigger — supporting small, independent farmers and winemakers doing the right thing for us and our earth.
Challenges and Lessons Along the Way
Transitioning our family ranch to raising exclusively grass-fed beef and embracing regenerative agriculture meant rethinking how and where we buy all of our food. We’ve had to navigate the higher costs and occasional limited availability, including our own ranch's production and processing constraints, but each hurdle taught us something valuable.
Most importantly, it reinforced the idea that real change takes time and effort — and it’s always worth it.
We’ve also learned the power of community. Connecting with local farmers, attending conferences and workshops, and sharing knowledge with like-minded individuals has been incredibly rewarding. It’s reminded us that we’re not alone on this journey, and that small steps can lead to big impacts when we work together.
A Healthier Plate, a Healthier Planet
Looking back, those early health setbacks were a blessing in disguise. They set us on a path that not only transformed our family’s health but also deepened our connection to the land and the food we eat. Grass-fed beef and regenerative agriculture have become more than choices for us — they’re a way of life, a statement of values, and a source of hope for the future.
If you’re considering making the switch, I encourage you to take that first step. Start small, ask questions, and explore what’s available where you live. Together, we can cultivate a healthier plate, glass and planet.
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