Answers to common questions about our grass-fed, grass-finished beef, how it's raised and verified, shipping, and what Eversoil certification means.
What does “grass-fed and grass-finished” mean?
Grass-fed means the cattle ate grass; grass-finished means grass - never grain - was their diet all the way through. Carter cattle are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, free-roaming on diverse native grasses in Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains, some grazing for up to 8 years before harvest.
Where does your beef come from?
From Carter Ranch in Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains - regenerative, Galician-style beef, slow-grown on native grasses for depth of flavor and nutrient density.
How do you know the beef is more nutrient-dense?
Our nutrient density is independently third-party verified by the Bionutrient Food Association, with lab testing by Edacious Labs and the Stephan Van Vliet Lab.
Our July 2026 ground beef tested at an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 1.82:1. For comparison, a 2026 Journal of Animal Science study of commercial North American beef found grain-finished beef averaging 8.28:1 and grass-finished 2.14:1. The ratio shifts with season: greener grass lowers it, browner grass raises it.
That same sample, tested by the Van Vliet Lab, showed no detectable arsenic, barium, cadmium, nickel or lead. Separate Edacious Labs testing of our beef found arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead below the limit of quantification.
Why is beef's nutrition easy for the body to absorb?
Beef delivers key nutrients in highly bioavailable forms: heme iron (absorbed far more efficiently than plant iron), vitamin B12 (no reliable plant equivalent), and zinc (not blocked by the phytates in grains and legumes) - plus a complete amino acid profile. Grass-finished beef also carries more long-chain omega-3s and CLA.
Isn't grass-fed beef more expensive?
On price per pound, yes - but that's the wrong ruler. What matters is cost per nutrient your body can actually use. Grass-finished beef delivers more of the omega-3s, vitamin E, and CLA most people are short on, in forms the body absorbs well - so a smaller, more nutrient-dense portion can go further. And bought in bulk, a whole cow works out to about $13.18/lb, our best price. Measured by nutrition rather than weight, quality beef is a better value than it looks at the counter.
Why “eat less, but better”?
Nutrient density is how much vitamins, minerals, quality fats, and bioavailable protein you get per bite. A more nutrient-dense food can satisfy your body's actual needs with a smaller portion - so eating less, but better, often beats eating more of a lower-quality food.
Is grass-fed beef good for kids?
Children have small stomachs and high needs - they can't eat huge volumes to make up for low-quality food. Nutrient-dense animal protein packs concentrated, absorbable nutrition - heme iron, B12, DHA omega-3s, complete amino acids - into small, kid-sized portions.
How is regenerative beef better for the land?
Regenerative ranching uses cattle as a tool to rebuild land, not degrade it - adaptive, high-intensity grazing with long rest periods keeps roots intact and builds soil organic matter, which helps the land hold more rain and store carbon in the ground. On Carter Ranch, soil organic matter on the irrigated lands climbed from 1.1% to 5.0%.
What is Eversoil Certified?
An outcome-based standard built for an industry full of greenwashing - it verifies both land health (via the Land EKG land-health monitoring methodology) and the nutrient density of the beef itself, not just how the animal was raised. On Carter Ranch, soil organic matter on the irrigated lands has climbed from 1.1% to 2.27% (2020), 4.43% (2024), and 5.0% (2025) - a direct measure of healthier, more productive soil.
What is “Eversoil Coalition” on the label?
The Eversoil Coalition is a growing group of like-minded ranchers practicing outcomes-based ranching - using cattle as the tool to regenerate the land through high-intensity grazing over short periods, with ample rest between grazings. Today our beef comes from Carter Ranch, but the coalition is expanding to more ranches that qualify for Eversoil Certification: a standard pairing a verified baseline of land health (measured by Snap Lands) with a verified baseline of nutrient density (verified by the Bionutrient Food Association, Edacious Labs, and the Stephan Van Vliet Lab). It certifies the outcome - healthy soil producing measurably nutrient-dense beef - not just the practice, with the data recorded rather than claimed.
How does a cow share work, and what's the best value?
A cow share (whole, half, or quarter) fills your freezer with a full range of cuts - steaks, roasts, ground beef and more - at the best per-pound price we offer. A whole cow works out to about $13.18/lb, our lowest price per pound. Smaller “mini” shares (eighth, sixteenth) suit smaller freezers.
How is the beef shipped, and is it safe if it arrives partially thawed?
Orders are flash-frozen and shipped in insulated packaging. If beef arrives partially thawed but still cold to the touch, it's safe - refrigerate and use within a few days, or refreeze right away (USDA guidance). We ship direct from the ranch across the United States.
Do you sell anything besides beef?
Yes - alongside our grass-fed beef we curate a small pantry: Nuvo small-batch olive oils and balsamics, Hook & Line wild Alaskan seafood, and Purely tallow skincare rendered from the same regenerative cattle.
What's your return or refund policy?
Reach us anytime at info@cartercountrymeats.com and see our Returns & Refunds page for full details - we stand behind every order.
