Elaina Michael

Elaina’s connection to meat comes from real-life experiences on working lands, such as corralling reindeer in remote parts of Alaska and herding and milking Sarda sheep in Italy. Her journey reflects that of one who seeks to better understand grazing animals, the land that evolved with them, and how we humans are stewards of that relationship. In addition to all the experience and knowledge that she acquired through my B.S. in Animal Science and M.S. in Ruminant Nutrition, her experiences working alongside youth and agricultural producers in the outdoors for more than a decade, and her business’s endeavors in grant writing poignantly craft a unique perspective towards her work with the Good Meat Project.

Where do you live and how long have you lived there?

I live in Colorado Springs and have lived here for 3 years.

What do you do for a living?

My role as the Development Coordinator with the Good Meat Project is to assist with fundraising strategies and relationship-building with those who support the amazing work that we do. Outside of this work, I run a grant writing consultancy called Refontê Ventures, which helps farmers and ranchers secure critical funding to enable them to do more of the good work of improving the health of their land and products that they are committed to.

How do you define your Good Meat® values?

I treat meat like dessert - it needs to be quality. If it’s not, I might as well eat beans and rice. When I am choosing food for my family I know that I want to feel good about our entire eating experience and make the right choice for my family. Knowing that the story of your food as one that you can stand behind is important to me.

Why did you start eating meat that aligns with those values?

From a young age, I was raised on beef that my parents purchased from the Amish. My mom grew up on a farm so going to pick up half a cow to last our family the whole year was always the norm for me. When I left home to go to college and started buying my own meat, I quickly noticed that the grain-fed ground beef from multiple countries did not taste right.

What meat, or meat dish, do you eat most regularly and what do you eat for a special occasion?

Most often I eat ground beef/bison or bacon as it goes in as a part of recipes that I make. On special occasions, my husband and I will prepare several cuts of meat (New York strip, filet mignon, and others) on the smoker that we purchase from a local farmer.

Why did you start advocating or using your professional career to support meat that aligns with those values?

Upon earning a degree in animal science and taking classes such as holistic management and sheep production, my eyes were opened to the importance of grazing animals (when properly managed) as a tool to improve land and ecosystem health. Learning this alongside various animal and human nutrition courses and research experiences based on the work of Fred Provenza taught me the importance of the role of phytochemicals and other beneficial, but often overlooked, components of animals and plants that help our bodies to take care of themselves. In essence, our food should be medicine and should keep us healthy, not the other way around. I find it more affordable, and more satisfying, to pay more for healthy food and support small local farmers than to pay massive medical bills and be chronically sick.