Meat with a mission

In becoming full owners of Fruitland American Meat, Dr. Patti Whisnant and her husband, Mark, are a step closer to fulfilling their goal.

"We have always had a love for this industry," Patti Whisnant said. "Our mission, in a way, through the processing plant is to breathe new life into the family farm."

The USDA-certified organic plant at 3006 Route FF in Jackson processes beef, pork, bison, chicken and the occasional lamb from local farmers and is experienced at handling organic and grass-fed livestock.

The Whisnants had been processing their grass-fed beef there since 2000 before they became owners in 2005.

They also own and operate a 4,000-acre farm in Doniphan, Mo., and run their own business, American GrassFed Beef, on the Internet. Patti Whisnant is a veterinarian; Mark Whisnant has more than 20 years' experience in agricultural marketing. He worked on cattle operations in Florida, where he grew up.

Butcher Kenny Klipsel worked at Fruitland American Meat in Jackson. (Submitted photo)

Farmers in the area are pleased with the way business is being handled at the plant.

"We were very happy when we heard that the new owners were taking over the plant. They treat their animals well," said Julie Janzow, a local organic farmer who raises grass-fed beef. "Last year was the first year we did business with them, and they were very helpful."

Some businesses in the area, like SEMO Organics, sold through Grace Cafe at 818 Broadway, and Natural Health Organic Foods at 135 S. Broadview St. in Cape Girardeau, choose to sell only grass-fed beef.

Patti Whisnant said consumers want that kind of meat for a number of reasons. "It has appeal because of the health benefits, it's environmentally friendly, the animals are not mistreated and, most importantly, it supports local family farming," she said. "The industrial beef market does not support this."

The USDA requires that organic meats contain no drugs or chemicals of any kind -- antibiotics, hormones and animal byproducts, pesticides and artificial fertilizer. Regulations also require that the animal be fed from sources of feed that are at least 70 percent organic and include no genetically modified organisms.

Grass-fed is not yet a legally defined term. Whisnant, who is the president of the American Grassfed Association, is working with her organization to have the USDA make the label for "grass-fed" mean animals raised in a pasture on a 100 percent forage diet with no antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones, grain or grain byproducts or animal by-products.

According to California State University at Chico's Department of Agriculture, a number of reports show grass-fed beef contains higher concentrations of a number of substances that have favorable effects on human health.

Whisnant said cattle benefit from eating grass rather than grain because that's what their stomachs are suited for. Grass-feeding cattle is also beneficial to the environment, she said, because smaller numbers of animals are free to roam the fields rather in commercialized operations where more cattle are in a confined space with waste lagoons that can leak or overflow.

Dr. Georganne Syler, a dietitian and an associate professor of human environmental studies at Southeast Missouri State University, said not enough research has been done to prove that organic fruits, vegetables and meat are better for people. "Organic farming is, however, much better for the environment," she said.

Syler has read plenty of research that supports the claims of grass-fed beef, but she said no one will die from eating an industrially processed steak.

"You always hear about people having problems with their weight or other health problems, and it's not all because of industrial beef or because they're not eating organic foods," Syler said. "Americans eat way too much of everything."

The drawback of organic and grass-fed products is that they are more expensive.

"If money was not an option for me, I would buy these foods all the time," Syler said. "These products are what I like to call 'designer products.'"

In addition to the retail store at Fruitland American Meat, the Whisnants are exploring the idea of opening a store in Cape Girardeau. They also want to expand their delivery service to private homes.

"Most of our deliveries now are to businesses like hospitals, nursing homes, etc.," Patti Whisnant said. "We want to have a more personal relationship with our customers by doing home delivery."

lbertrand@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137