David Pollack knows exactly where his beef comes from, his family farm.

B次元官网网址淚 like having cattle on my farm, they are a very interesting animal. Some people say they are stupid, I wouldnB次元官网网址檛 go that far, but they certainly arenB次元官网网址檛 the sharpest animal,B次元官网网址� Pollack said.

The View Royal farmer prides himself when a meal on his table is compiled of ingredients grown fewer than 100 metres away. A homegrown meal may include grass-fed steaks with potatoes, carrots and raspberries for dessert.

When it comes time to slaughter a cow, itB次元官网网址檚 often done on site at the Atkins Road farm.

With B.C. regulations, Pollack can only share is farm-raised beef with family members.

B次元官网网址淚 would sell a live cow to someone and then whatever happens to that cow when it leaves the farm is none of my business,B次元官网网址� Pollack said.

PollackB次元官网网址檚 family has farmed the property since 1922, cattle is important to balance the farm, the meat is just a by-product.

A decade ago the farm didnB次元官网网址檛 have cows for two years due to PollackB次元官网网址檚 aging fatherB次元官网网址檚 health concerns.

B次元官网网址淭he farm was unbalanced, we didnB次元官网网址檛 have enough manure and I had to buy some and then I had unsold hay,B次元官网网址� he said.

To sell the meat to the public Pollack would need to have it slaughtered in an inspected facility. The closest abattoir that processes cows is in Cowichan Bay, a trip that would cost $150 per cow. That extra money would be reflected the price of the meat.

B次元官网网址淭here needs to be a local abattoir,B次元官网网址� Pollack said.

Once a year Langford business Glenwood Meats  sells a small amount of grass-fed beef to the public. ItB次元官网网址檚 ordered from a farm in Cobble Hill. The November order of 18 sides sold out quickly, said business owner Rick Fisher.

B次元官网网址淚t could have been timing it was right after the XL beef (recall),B次元官网网址� said Fisher.  XL Food Inc. recalled thousands of pounds of beef were recalled after E. coli was detected at an Alberta facility, Sept. 4, 2012. The plant was able to resume at the end of October 2012.

While the demand and interest in grass-fed beef is increasing, Fisher said the only way to get more grass-fed beef to the public would be to increase the amount of slaughter facilities available.

Mike Windle operates an abattoir in Metchosin that processes lamb and he sells grass-fed beef at his other business, The Oak Bay Butcher.

In WindleB次元官网网址檚 butcher shop, grass-fed beef is the only option.

B次元官网网址淚f they are on grass they have very high levels of omega fatty acids. The saturated fat contains the good cholesterol not the bad,B次元官网网址� said the butcher, adding the beef has a higher nutritional level because cows bodies function better when they eat grass as opposed to grain.

A small portion of WindleB次元官网网址檚 beef is produced locally and his main supplier is in Dawson Creek.

The grain-fed cattle has more fat inside the muscle which creates marbling that many people look for in their meat.

The Metchosin abattoir operates twice a week for lamb, and as much as Windle would like to see the supply and demand of grass-fed beef rise, he said there is still not enough demand in the Capital Regional District for a cattle slaughterhouse.

B次元官网网址淔or me I would need a whole new building, my ceiling is not high enough for cows,B次元官网网址� Windle said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been slow to catch on. ItB次元官网网址檚 going to be an uphill battle for people to sell something that costs more money.B次元官网网址�