Troy Bishopp, New York

Jul 19, 2006 10:09 PM

Grazing is focus for this Eastern cattleman

Hay may be for horses, but it's not for cows — at least not according to Troy Bishopp.

The New York farmer, known as "The Grass Whisperer," has been tapping into a relatively new market by raising grass-fed only cows for New York Beef, a company that markets its "natural, 100-percent grass-fed" beef as a step above competitors who use antibiotics and growth implants.

"We don't have to do anything at all. All we have to do is manage it," Bishopp says of the minimal technology used to enhance cattle growth at Bishopp Family Farm.

The Bishopp family has operated the 100-acre farm since 1980. When the profitability of milking cows slipped in the mid-1990s, Bishopp found his way into custom grazing cattle on his 90 acres of pesticide-free pastures from May to November.

He has 85 of New York Beef's cattle. Of those, he said 45 are "in finishing," meaning they are closer to the desired weight — about 1,200 pounds — to be processed to go to market. The rest are "stocker calves," young steers weighing between 600 and 700 pounds.

Bishopp is responsible only for keeping the cows grass-fed. New York Beef takes care of the rest, including marketing and transportation. But while the cattle are in his possession, he keeps things moving, literally. Every day, the cattle are moved from one gated pasture to the next, thus getting fresh grass every day.

"That's what makes it fun. We just need animals and grass and some good management," said Bishopp, who receives help from daughters Lindsay, 17, and Katie, 13.

The consumer market for organically-raised fruits and vegetables — those grown without pesticides and other chemicals — took off in the late 1990s and into the next decade. In 2002, North America surpassed Europe as the largest market for organic foods and drinks, with Americans fueling most of the 10.1-percent increase to $23 billion in global sales, according to the Organic Monitor.

The organic meat industry, which includes animals fed only natural products and receiving no hormone injections, was slower to take off, but received a boost from outbreaks of mad cow disease three years ago and the associated fear that spread around the globe.
In the North American organic food industry, the meat sector is the fastest growing, increasing by 51 percent last year.

"The market is growing, but it's still a very small segment. It's probably less than 1 percent of the entire meat market in the U.S.," reports Mike Baker, a beef cattle extension specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca.

Baker says there is no difference in the quality and safety of organic and non-organic meat, since it all must get the U.S. Department of Agriculture's stamp of approval. "The benefit mainly is from a marketing standpoint," he says and points out New York is close to a larger population that prefers to purchase organic food.

Bishopp is not certified as an organic farmer but he does take steps to increase the marketability of his operation. The possibilities for grass-fed cattle farming have not been fully tapped in New York State, but he is passionate about changing that.

"That's why I'm pretty excited about it,” Bishopp concludes.

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