There are still plenty of people who don't know what cows are eating

When you know a lot about the food process, you tend to think that everyone has the same level of knowledge as you do. A very easy assumption to make.

But as I learned from reading this week's The WaPo weekly food chat, there are plenty of people who are catching up.

What does "grass fed" mean?: I recently saw a cooking show where someone was carrying on about how great this certain butter tasted because the cows were grass fed. I mentioned this to my wife, and she said aren't all cows grass fed?

I couldn't answer that. What do cows eat if they are not eating grass!?!?

Thanks!

Jane Black: Oh dear. Cows *should* be fed grass, you are right. But in today's world, most cows are fed grain. It makes them gain weight more quickly so they can be slaughtered earlier and creates a fattier meat that Americans like for steak.

Grass-fed is now back in vogue. Mostly you find the meat and butter/milk at farmers market but it's also in some stores. Be careful though: The labeling can be tricky. Some say they are grass-fed, which means they are fed grass most of their lives but "finished" on corn. Which means they get grain at the end of their lives. If you want all grass-fed, look for something called grass-finished.

Jane Black does make an excellent point about grass-fed and grass-finished. If you are just learning that cows are being fed corn and other grains (and sometimes other cows), then you really should know the nuances of pro-grass promotion in meat and other cow products.

Though Jane Black leaves out the antibiotics element of the story, she is right that cows should be fed grass (no quotes necessary).

If you find yourself in a conversation with someone who doesn't know what cows are eating, or some similar food issue, be friendly. Don't be patronizing. Kindly point out that there is information out there. I would recommend this blog, of course. But I would be happy if they saw "Food, Inc." or "King Corn" or read a Michael Pollan book.

Food literacy — let's not assume people know what is happening. The people who need the help the most are the least likely to know what is going on.