Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed
Lifetime grazed beef from Minnesota family farms
Overview
Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed sources beef from a nationwide network of family farms across the Midwest, Northeast, and West and is one of the few brands that explicitly certifies 'lifetime grazed', meaning no grain at any point in the animal's life, including in the feedlot before slaughter.
Full Review
Thousand Hills was founded in Minnesota in 2003 with a specific mission: to produce beef that is truly grass-fed for the animal's entire life, without the loophole that some 'grass-fed' brands exploit by finishing animals on grain or in feedlots before slaughter. The 'Lifetime Grazed' designation is their central differentiator and is third-party verified. What started as an upper-Midwest network has grown into 50-plus hand-selected family farms across three regions, Midwest, Northeast, and West, plus their original home farm in Minnesota, where cattle graze on pasture during the growing season and eat stored forages (hay, haylage) through the winter. The brand remains strongest on shelf in the upper Midwest, appearing in Lunds & Byerlys, Hy-Vee, and many independent natural food stores, as well as nationally at select Whole Foods, and now ships direct-to-consumer nationwide through their website.
Thousand Hills also emphasizes soil health and works with farms transitioning to more regenerative practices. Their products include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and a line of snack sticks and jerky.
✓ What We Like
- ·Explicitly 'Lifetime Grazed', no grain ever, including feedlot
- ·Strong regional retail presence in upper Midwest
- ·Family farm network with strong transparency
- ·Good value relative to quality
- ·Snack sticks and jerky for on-the-go options
Considerations
- ·Retail availability still strongest in upper Midwest, though online shipping is now nationwide
- ·Smaller product variety compared to specialty DTC brands
- ·Winter feeding relies on stored forages, not fresh pasture
All Certifications
Available Cuts & Products
Our Editorial Assessment
GrassFed Source Editorial Team, based on certifications, published farming practices, and aggregated customer feedback. We do not accept payment for reviews or assessments.
The 'Lifetime Grazed' designation is a meaningful distinction beyond standard grass-fed labeling. Many brands use 'grass-fed' as a descriptor while still allowing grain finishing in the final weeks before slaughter, Thousand Hills gets third-party verification that grain is excluded for the animal's entire life, including that final feedlot stage. That specificity matters. Their farm network has grown from an upper-Midwest cooperative into 50-plus farms across the Midwest, Northeast, and West, and the retail presence in regional chains like Lunds and Hy-Vee still makes this the most shelf-accessible AGA-certified option in that home geography. They've also added nationwide online shipping, so buyers outside the upper Midwest are no longer limited to retail availability. The product range is narrower than DTC-specialist brands. Our assessment is based on their AGA and Lifetime Grazed certification documentation, retail distribution data, and aggregated customer feedback.
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Quick Facts
- Founded
- 2003
- Location
- Becker, Minnesota
- Sourcing Region
- Midwest, Northeast & West USA
- Price Range
- $8–$28/lb
- Grass-Fed %
- 100% Grass-Fed