Early Reviews

“A beautiful harmony from this chef-farmer duet. Heller’s philosophical and explanatory grass-farming ruminations bring pastoral delight onto Calvert’s grill and into your kitchen. What a fabulous addition to pasture-based culinary expression”

— Joel Salatin, Polyface Farm and author of The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer and Everything I Want To Do is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front

“A sense of passion and purpose animate this work with its far-reaching range of information on the grassfed movement and the delights of preparing meat full of flavor and healthful nutrients. These ‘grassfed gourmets’ take the reader on a journey from the tranquil grassland of America, to no-nonsense how-to techniques of traditional smoking and grilling; culminating with the best collection of mouth-watering grassfed recipes imaginable.”

— John Shields, chef, television host, and author of Coastal Cooking with John Shields

“With its detailed description of pasture-raised animals and grass-based farming, the Grassfed Gourmet Fires it Up! is not just a grilling cookbook, it’s a valuable educational tool that happens to be filled with delicious, mouthwatering recipes and a must read for anyone who fires up the coals.”

—Diane Hatz, the Glynwood Institute for Sustainable Food and Farming

“Today’s close working relationship between farmers and chefs not only contributes to everyone’s eating pleasure, it provides a wealth of information that we can use in our own farms and kitchens. In this lovely book we learn how to produce and prepare meat from grassfed ruminants. Enjoy!”

—Frederick Kirschenmann, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

“Chefs and consumers are turning their attention to the benefits of livestock raised on grass, and not a moment too soon. Whether one looks at health benefits, environmental advantages, or animal welfare, grassfed is best. Now there’s a hunger for information about where to find it and how to cook it. The Grassfed Gourmet Fires it Up! is a great addition to the library of anyone interested in joining the grassfed revolution.”

—Bill Niman, Founder, Niman Ranch and BN Ranch

“The Grassfed Gourmet Fires It Up! is a must read for anyone interested in how we produce our food, moving toward a more sustainable agriculture and how somone committed to ecologic agriculture and sustainable food systems can enjoy eating grassfed meats. Rita Calvert and Michael Heller do a great job of highlighting many of these connections and the multiple benefits of “pasture-based” farming practices and food preparation. These lessons are key to understanding how we can move away from today’s unsustainable industrial food animal production system—and toward a more sustainable and resilient ecologic animal agriculture that embraces what Aldo Leopold called the land ethic.”

—Robert S. Lawrence, MD, Director, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future