Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport just took a cheap shot from big agribusiness. They lost their brand name, their beef herd and their good reputation as land stewards.

The management of the Wolfe’s Neck Beef Brand followed a production model that is rewarded by the cheap food policy of our government. Two thousand head of beef cattle in confinement buildings in Fort Fairfield being fed barley is not a sustainable practice. Cattle raised naturally on grassland pasture is a sustainable model. Grass-fed beef is proven to be a healthier food choice. One acre of grassland pasture will produce the same amount of choice beef as one acre of corn being fed to cattle in a feed lot.

The little farm in Freeport needs to become a grass-fed beef operation. When using new, modern grazing practices, their soils could heal, become alive, and no longer a threat to any water resource. In the past this farm has been a valuable leader in the effort to promote sustainable agriculture in Maine. We need its leadership in the future.

Roger Fortin, Wales