This doc made some moove

From patients to pastures

By Karen Tina Harrison | Special to amNewYork

August 13, 2007

Ken Jaffe. (Photo by Linda Jaffe / August 12, 2007)

The Big Career Switch: From Brooklyn doctor to upstate beef farmer

Who Pulled It Off: Ken Jaffe, 57

What He Does: Jaffe raises natural, grass-fed beef at Slope Farms in Meredith, NY.

What He Used To Do: Jaffe was a family physician in Park Slope for 25 years.

Why He Switched: "I felt I was working for the HMOs and not for my patients. When the system made it impossible for me to deliver quality medical care, I had to opt out. And I'm still helping people, because grass-fed beef is so much healthier."

How He Did It: "Like a lot of doctors, I fantasized about being close to nature as a farmer. I already had a house in Meredith and bought more property. I opened Slope Farms with 10 cattle. Now I have 63 and breed my own hardy grass-fed variety."

What A Beef Farmer Does: "I get up at 6:30, move the cattle to a feeding pasture, and stay with them two to four hours. I spend an hour a day on business stuff and have a part-time assistant. It's busier during fall breeding season and spring calving season. I'm also politically active in local land and farm preservation issues."

Who Does This Job Best: "A grass-fed beef farmer must be committed and hardworking. You have to love the land and not be afraid of getting down and dirty. You must keep up with the market and promote the superiority of grass-fed beef."

How's The Dough? "I make a living, but I'm not getting rich. If the demand for grass-fed beef increases, I'll expand my herd and make more income."

What About Perks? "I love being on the land with the animals, and today's farmers are a really interesting, diverse and passionate group. I used to jog in Prospect Park. Now I walk the green hills with my cattle. It's a good life."

What Else You Should Know: "Cows are calm and comforting and give people so much. There's something very profound about the bond between humans and cattle."