At Two Sisters Tallow Co, we believe that the quality of our tallow starts long before we begin the rendering process. That’s why we are committed to sourcing only grass-fed and finished beef suet from trusted, local ranches. This ensures that our tallow is as pure, nutrient-rich, and environmentally responsible as possible.

It’s important to us that our source suet is both grass fed AND grass finished because it does impact the end result for skincare. If you’ve ever wondered why we bother using both of those terms instead of just ‘grass fed,’ we’d love to tell you all about it.

Grass Fed vs Grass Finished

Not all beef is raised the same way, and the methods with which they’re raised and fed can have a dramatic impact on the finished product. There are several terms that are prevalent within cattle marketing, and many of them are not regulated within Alberta or Canada, so it can be important to know the differences when you are making purchasing choices. The main four you may see are:

• Grass fed
• Grass finished
• Grain finished
• Pastured or pasture raised

The differences between these four can potentially have a huge impact on the quality, nutrient density, and (in the case of beef) flavour, so it is important to know what they are most likely referring to. Let’s break them down, and then we’ll talk about why it matters with reference to our tallow.

Grass Fed

Grass fed is one of the terms that’s become a bit of a buzzword in the cattle and health communities lately, and as its meaning is not regulated within Canada, it’s an important one to pay attention to. Grass fed, “legally” speaking, simply means that the animal has been fed primarily on grass forages for some portion of its life. In this case, it can refer to a good majority of beef within Alberta because much of our feeder age cattle are raised on grass pastures and then shipped to feed lots to be finished (aka fattened up) on grain-based rations. So, when it comes to the term grass-fed, this could be any cattle that have lived on grass at any point in their lives instead of what we’re really aiming for, which is an animal that’s been fed on grass and forage feeds its entire life.

Grass Finished

Grass finished, though sometimes treated as synonymous with grass fed, is not necessarily so. As mentioned above, grass fed can refer to an animal that has been fed primarily grass at some point in its lifespan. Grass finished, however, refers to the way that animal was fattened prior to slaughter. Grass finished cattle have been fed a ration containing grass, hay, hay silage, or sometimes fodder in order to achieve a finished weight. Grass finished can have the reputation of being tougher, ‘gamier’ beef, but this flavour profile can be reduced through taking extra time to reach proper finishing weight on the animals or by utilizing smaller breeds within the cattle herd. These factors lend themselves to increased prices due to the added care and input it takes to carry an animal through a second harsh Alberta winter.

You can avoid the confusion between grass fed and grass finished marketing by looking for certifications like Certified Grassfed by AGW, which guarantees the animal was on grass or forage its entire life as well as having pasture access, which we’ll talk about later.

Grain Finished

Grain finished animals are those which were fed a finishing ration consisting of various grains. Barley and corn are common, though wheat, oats, and soy or silage of any of these products can factor into the mix depending on what is available to producers. Grain finishing is often done in small pen or feedlot style settings in order to better control the rate of gains seen on the animal. Being kept in this way can often lead to increased illness due to close quarters, exposure to new illnesses from other herds, and other factors. This in turn leads to increased antibiotic use to manage herd health.

According to an article written by the Beef Cattle Research Council of Canada in 2022, 97% of cattle in Western Canadian feedlots receive antibiotics through injection or in feed (you can read the quoted study in full here).

So, not only are we often dealing with antibiotic overexposure in grain finished cattle, but there are also marketing ploys afoot:

If an animal was sold off the ranch to a feedlot once weaned, they can feasibly be considered grass fed but grain finished. Leaving off that ‘grain finished’ part is a common marketing move used by bigger corporations when advertising grass fed beef—they use animals raised on grass and finish them quickly so only a small portion of their life is spent on grains, thereby allowing them to still use ‘grass fed’ in their marketing of the product.

It’s not just big feedlots and marketing ploys when it comes to grain finishing, however—many smaller producers choose to grain finish their beef as well, and they do it with excellence. They do this in ethical, humane ways that do not overuse antibiotics, market you nonsense, and so long as they also emphasize land stewardship, it can be beneficial for the environment as well.

Pastured or Pasture Raised

As an unregulated term, pasture raised can refer to any animal run on pasture in the earlier part of its life but confined within feedlot pens for finishing. Pastured is also rather unspecific, though both do indicate that the cow has, at least for some portion of its life, had its hooves on prairie soil under the summer sun.

You can also assure pasture access by looking for operations using certification programs like Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW.

Why Does Diet Matter to Tallow?

Diet matters because ‘you are what you eat’ also applies to bovines. By choosing only grass-fed and finished beef suet, we ensure that our tallow has the best chance of having the nutrient profile we value for high-quality skincare:

• Higher Nutrient Value – Grass-fed tallow is richer in essential fatty acids like Omega-3s, beta carotene, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is an amino acid known for its anti-inflammatory properties.
• Clean, Pure Fat – The grass finished ranches we source from ensure the animals aren’t fed grains, exposed to synthetic hormones, or prophylactic antibiotics, so their fat is free from the residues and imbalances which can sometimes be found in grain finished or commercial feedlot beef.
• Better for the Environment – The grass fed and finished cattle we choose are raised using sustainable grazing practices that emphasize improving soil health, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting biodiversity.

Unmasked Marketing: Supporting Local Ranchers & Sustainable Agriculture

Marketing buzzwords are designed to make you purchase products that may not necessarily fully align with your values. This is why we are adamant about sourcing our suet from local producers we can build trusting relationships with.

By working with local operations, we:

• Ensure Transparency – We know exactly how the cattle are raised, from their diet to their living conditions, giving us full confidence in the purity of our suet.
• Reduce Environmental Impact – Buying locally cuts down on transportation emissions, making our sourcing process more sustainable.
• Support Small-Scale, Regenerative Farming – Many of our partner ranches use regenerative agricultural practices that promote healthier land, animals, and communities.
• Build Stronger Communities – Every dollar we spend sourcing from a local ranch cuts out the ‘middle men’ and stays within our communities.

If you want to learn more about the specific ranches we have partnered with, you can check out our Partner Ranches list here.

Thank you for supporting our company and our suppliers. We are so unbelievably proud to bring you a product that is not only better for you but better for the planet!

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