Beyond the Buzzwords: Why “Grass-Finished” Isn’t Enough and What Regenerative Really Means

In the world of clean skincare and ethical sourcing, labels like “grass-fed” and “grass-finished” are everywhere. They sound wholesome, but they don’t always tell the whole story. In fact, they often obscure more than they reveal.

What Does “Grass-Finished” Actually Mean?

At face value, “grass-finished” suggests that cattle ate grass their entire lives. But it says nothing about how the animals were raised, what kind of grass they ate, or whether the land they grazed on was healthy.

Here’s what the term doesn’t tell you:

• Were the animals raised on open pasture or confined to feedlots?

• Was the grass clean, pesticide-free, and non-GMO?

• Were the pastures depleted—or being actively restored?

Even the USDA no longer defines “grass-fed” as of 2016, leaving a gray area ripe for greenwashing.

Why Regenerative Farming Is the Standard We Hold

At My Neighbor’s, we go far beyond the label. The farms we work with in the Hudson Valley aren’t just grass-fed and grass-finished—they're regeneratively managed.

That means:

• Rotational grazing to enrich the soil and prevent overgrazing

• No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, ever

• Rebuilding biodiversity, from microbes to pollinators

• Carbon sequestration—restoring land as a living, breathing system

Regenerative farming is about healing the land, not just extracting from it. Healthier soil grows healthier forage, which nourishes the animals leading to more nutrient-dense fat and ultimately, more effective skincare.

We Don’t Rely on Labels. We Build Relationships.

Our tallow comes from farms we know by name—places that are restoring ecosystems, raising animals ethically, and producing fat of unmatched quality.

We partner only with farms that are:

• Pasture-based with room for animals to roam

• Non-GMO and hormone-free

• Practicing true regenerative agriculture

This is more than sourcing. It’s stewardship.

No Greenwashing. Just Real Skincare, From Real Farms.

We believe you deserve transparency, integrity, and skincare rooted in something deeper than a label. You’re not just choosing what to put on your skin you’re choosing the kind of world you want to support.