January 2026

January in Louisiana isn’t the dead of winter—it’s the hinge. One week feels like spring, the next reminds you the season still has teeth. On the ranch, that in-between weather creates its own kind of discipline: dry stretches that let us catch up on fencing and equipment, then a return to the steady 40s-and-60s pattern that makes cool-season grass do what it’s supposed to do. It’s not dramatic, but it’s decisive—this is the window where we set the table for February grazing.

This month, Back to Basics gives you a clear look at where we are: ryegrass just coming up, fertilizer timing, and why this temperature range is exactly what we want. In the News Roundup, we’re sharing our temporary winter store hours and highlighting Tallow Lu Yah—local skincare made with our grass-fed beef tallow—plus a few winter staples folks ask for this time of year. Health + Wellness goes science-heavy on iron and B12—why they matter for oxygen transport, energy metabolism, and nervous system health, and why beef is such an efficient delivery system. And Chef’s Corner turns batch-cooked shredded beef into Cuban Crispy Shredded Beef so leftovers don’t feel like a compromise.

Let’s keep moving with the season—steady, prepared, and a step ahead.

We’re in a bit of a holding pattern on the ranch—mild temperatures, low precipitation, and drier conditions than usual for this time of year. The upside is it’s given us time to catch up on maintenance across the place (fencing, equipment, and the usual repairs).

Looking ahead, the forecast is shifting back toward a more seasonal pattern—lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s—which is exactly what we want for January and February. That temperature range is also ideal for ryegrass growth (it tends to do best around 50–60°F).

Right now our ryegrass is just coming up (about 2–3 inches tall), which is the perfect stage for our first—and usually only—fertilizer application. If the weather cooperates, we should be grazing in February, right about the time we expect to run out of hay.

Things are moving the way they should at this point.

Sincerely,

Dr. Shannon Gonsoulin

 

Want the full story?
Watch more for a deep dive into the land, the herd, and the people behind GLC.

▶️ Second Cutting on YouTube

 

Winter Store Hours (temporary)

The Farm Store will be closing early at 5:30pm in observance of daylight savings time. We will be keeping these hours until early March when the time change happens again. 

Vendor Spotlight: Tallow Lu Yah (made with our grass-fed beef tallow)

We’re excited to keep stocking Tallow Lu Yah—they’re making some truly great products using GLC grass-fed beef tallow.

A current favorite: Full of Grace Face Cream
From their Meta page: “Full of Grace Face cream is back in stock with a NEW lighter, whipped texture. Still the same amazing ingredients but more spreadable.”

If you’ve been meaning to try a tallow-based moisturizer, this is a solid place to start.

More local wellness + winter staples

We also carry products from Chuck Ransonet and his wife, Misty, including:

• Colloidal silver
• Cooking tallow (Shut the Fat Up)
• Other seasonal cold/flu “keep-on-hand” remedies

Quick note: these products are shared as local offerings our customers ask about—not medical advice. If you have health questions, check in with your healthcare professional.

If you’re in the area, swing by and stock up—winter’s not done with us yet!

 

If you’ve ever had a season where your energy feels flat, your workouts feel harder than they should, or your focus is just… softer—two nutrients worth understanding are iron and vitamin B12. Not because they’re magic, but because they sit at the center of how your body moves oxygen and makes usable energy.

Iron: oxygen transport + cellular energy

Most of the iron in your body lives in hemoglobin (in red blood cells) and myoglobin (in muscle). Hemoglobin carries oxygen from lungs → tissues. Myoglobin stores and shuttles oxygen inside muscle—one reason low iron can feel like “my legs are heavy.”

Iron is also built into enzymes in the electron transport chain (think: mitochondria). If oxygen delivery and cellular respiration are compromised, the downstream symptom is predictable: fatigue.

Two key details educated folks often care about:

• Heme vs non-heme iron:
  Iron from animal foods is mostly heme iron, which is absorbed more efficiently and is less affected by inhibitors in the meal. Plant sources are non-heme, and absorption varies a lot depending on what you eat with it.
• Absorption is regulated:
  Your body tunes iron absorption using hepcidin and other signals. That’s why two people can eat the same thing and get different outcomes.

Common “iron blockers” and “helpers” (meal-level science):

• Inhibitors: phytates (some grains/legumes), polyphenols (tea/coffee), and calcium can reduce non-heme absorption when consumed together.
• Helpers: vitamin C boosts non-heme absorption.
• Bonus: Eating meat can improve absorption of non-heme iron in the same meal (sometimes called the “meat factor”).

B12: nervous system + red blood cells

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is essential for:

• DNA synthesis (especially in rapidly dividing cells like bone marrow)
• Myelin maintenance (nerve insulation)
• Methylation pathways (via methionine synthase)

This is why B12 deficiency can show up as fatigue and neurologic symptoms like tingling, numbness, or cognitive fog—sometimes even before anemia is obvious.

B12 absorption is also uniquely “engineered”:

• Stomach acid helps release B12 from food proteins
• B12 binds intrinsic factor
• Absorption happens in the terminal ileum

So anything that changes acid production or the intrinsic-factor pathway can matter.

Why beef matters (and why grass-fed fits the conversation)

Iron and B12 are nutrients where animal foods are simply the most direct delivery system:

• Beef provides heme iron (highly bioavailable)
• Beef provides B12 in a form your body can use efficiently

Grass-fed specifically is often discussed for its fatty acid profile and micronutrients, but here’s the pragmatic truth: both grass-fed and grain-finished beef are strong sources of iron and B12. If you’re choosing grass-fed, you’re not “getting iron and B12” so much as you’re choosing a production system you trust—while still getting those core nutrients in a reliable package.

Who should pay closer attention (not medical advice—just risk logic)

People who are statistically more likely to run low:

• Heavy menstrual bleeding / pregnancy / postpartum
• Endurance athletes (higher turnover + losses)
• Frequent blood donors
• People eating mostly plant-based
• Older adults or anyone with absorption challenges

If you’re curious, the “educated route” is to discuss labs with your clinician rather than guessing:

• Iron status: ferritin + hemoglobin (and sometimes transferrin saturation)
• B12: serum B12 plus methylmalonic acid (MMA) when clarification is needed

 

Earlier, we mentioned batch cooking shredded beef—now turn it into Cuban Crispy Shredded Beef.

Sauté shredded beef with peppers, onions, and lime juice, then serve with rice and beans.

Recipe here: https://biwfd.com/4j2HuUT