B&B Farms is inviting the public to come tour their pastures, meet the grass-fed cows, and enjoy some free barbecue from 3:30 to 6 p.m.

“The idea is to give people time to look and walk and talk, and ask questions, and then enjoy a meal,” said co-owner Brook Alloway.

Located at 9545 Cathro Road in Alpena County, the farm is owned by Alloway and her husband Ben Nowakowski, who is the main farmer.

“We’ve been grass finishing for a decade,” Alloway said.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley One of the cows at B&B Farms stares at the camera. The tag on the cow’s ear says “May 2008,” which is when the cow was born.

Grass finishing is the process of raising the cattle to eat only grass their whole lives.

“We have 200 acres,” Alloway explained. “The cows are moved every day. They basically walk in big circles on our property.”

She explained that grass finishing is better for environmental health, soil health, animal health, and the health of the humans who consume the beef.

“It is a much more holistic approach to eating red meat,” said Alloway, who was a vegetarian for almost her whole life, until recently.

“Grass-finished meat is probably the most responsible way to eat red meat,” she said. “We are not organic, but we are chemical-free. We mimic how wild animals would be. The healthier the soils are, the healthier the cows are, the healthier the meat.”

She added that grass-finished beef is gentler on the stomach, too.

“Our customer base tends to be people that want to eat meat,” but they have digestive issues, she noted. “It’s much more gentle on the gut,” she said of grass-finished beef.

“The meat is very flavorful, very tasty,” she said, “with a much lower impact on the environment, and a lower impact on the animals. We want to be as sustainable as possible, because it’s good for the environment, good for the animals, and it’s more economical.”

Alloway said they raise the cattle from birth.

“If you start from the beginning and end at the end, you’re in control of the health of the animal from day one,” she said.

If you plan to attend Saturday’s event, please either call or text 989-590-7544 or email thegoodnessofgrass@gmail.com. RSVP is required so they know how much food to prepare.

Please dress for the weather and walking in fields of tall grass. This event will be held outdoors, so masks are not required.

For more information, visit the B&B Farms website at thegoodnessofgrass.com.

B&B Farms sells beef by the package, doing drop-offs in Alpena and Rogers City, or pick-up any time at the farm. All their beef is USDA-certified. Perch’s IGA sells their frozen ground beef as well.