17 minute read
RENDERING’S ROLE IN THE REST OF THE STORY
Animal agriculture has a great sustainability story, yet that narrative is not complete without including how rendering extends, in multiple ways, livestock and poultry sustainability.
by Sharla Ishmael Clear Point Communications
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Render magazine. To learn more about the rendering industry and its interdependence with the livestock business, visit www.rendermagazine.com.
Readers of a certain vintage will remember Paul Harvey’s famous tag line he used to sign off each episode of his radio show: “And now you know. . .the rest of the story.” That is exactly what the rendering industry does for the livestock and poultry business—it provides the rest of the sustainability story, which is the mantra for any business in today’s political and social climate.
Consumers increasingly value products made in a sustainable manner, and they want to know the story behind that production. Animal agriculture is providing that information in all kinds of ways, from checkoff-funded promotional materials targeted to consumers, to YouTube videos highlighting conservation efforts by farmers and ranchers, to prioritizing sustainability in industry organizations’ longrange plans.
New collaborative entities have sprouted up to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders interested in the sustainability of animal agriculture, such as the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry and Eggs or the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. These groups include not only livestock producers, but also the World Wildlife Fund, McDonald’s, The Nature Conservancy, meatpackers, and citizen/society representatives.
Virtually every conference held for beef, pork or poultry in recent years had at least one session on sustainability. Livestock and poultry folks are working hard at getting their sustainability message out to the public.
Yet there is more to that story, which is where rendering plays a key part.
Half of the Story
It is easy to find infographics referring to the by-products from livestock with titles like, “Everything but the Oink,” or “There’s a Cow in My Marshmallow,” which list typical by-products most consumers probably do not realize come from livestock. These by-products are available because the rendering industry transforms the roughly half of each meat animal that is not edible into usable products. Darling Ingredients Inc. has put together an informative green paper that explains it well. “In the United States, the human demand for consumable meat proteins generates approximately 56 billion pounds of unconsumed meat by-products and used cooking oil (UCO); these materials are processed and converted into usable proteins, minerals, fats and oils by the rendering industry. Without
continued on page 44
Putting the Pieces Together
As we carefully assemble the best genetics from across the continent, we are excited for the unique breeding opportunities ahead of us. New this year, watch for our Bred Heifer Sale this fall, your opportunity to secure our breed leading genetics.
MAGS Gobinet 274G
Homo Polled • Homo Black • 81% Limousin S: CELL Envision 7023E D: MAGS Azure Pink BW: 0.8 WW: 76 YW: 118 MK: 14 MB: 0.24 $MI: 64
MAGS Fairy Dust
Homo Polled • Homo Black • 51% Lim-Flex S: CJSL Creed 5042C D: MAGS Bacall BW: 0.8 WW: 75 YW: 123 MK: 16 MB: 0.68 $MI: 78
AHCC High Stakes 376H
Homo Black • Homo Polled • 62% LF S: AHCC Dakota Thunder 363D D: AHCC Miss Robin A376 BW: 1.8 WW: 72 YW: 115 MK: 34 MB: 0.32 $MI: 65 Owned with Linhart Limousin, ATAK Limousin & Hager Cattle Co.
L7 Humdinger 0035H
Homo Polled • Black • Purebred S: CELL Envision 7023E D: Miss L7 514C BW: 1.9 WW: 83 YW: 138 MK: 20 MB: -0.04 $MI: 57 Owned with Peterson L7 Bar Ranch and the Humdinger Syndicate
Semen on L7 Humdinger 0035H, TMCK Fios 575F and AHCC Earning Power 900E available through Grassroots Genetics.
MIKE SMITH & MICHELLE McENTIRE • 76412 Palmer Junction Rd., Elgin, OR 97827 (801) 949-4408 or (541) 805-1007 • sales@buffbeef.com •www.buffbeef.com
this conversion process, the majority of these by-products would end up in landfills or composted, having no to little value and potentially causing harm to the environment. By recycling select food waste into sustainable goods, the rendering industry plays an active and critical role in protecting animal, human, and environmental health.”
Many of the sustainability messages from beef or pork producers describe the food chain as “farm to table.” In reality, the messages should be more like farm to table to feed/fuel/fertilizer back to farm when rendering is added into the life cycle, which it should as these recycled commodities bring added value to livestock.
Terry Caviness with Caviness Beef Packers, a member of the North American Renderers Association (NARA), said, “Rendering adds value to the carcass. One of the biggest ways rendering supports the sustainability of the livestock business is from an economic standpoint. It all works together.”
Back to the Farm
Another key aspect of rendering’s role in enhancing the sustainability of livestock and poultry is the fact much of what renderers process ends up right back on the farm or ranch. NARA’s website explains:
“In fact, the industry returns the majority of its finished products to the feed industry in the form of high-energy fats and high-quality protein ingredients that supplement the diet and enable efficient production of beef, veal, pork, poultry, fish, eggs and milk. The pet food industry also benefits by having access to a vast array of nutrientrich and flavorful ingredients for rations that maintain healthy companion animals.” It is not just the recycling of by-products that increases livestock and poultry sustainability. The fats and proteins recovered through rendering, then added to feed, help to lower costs of livestock production. For example, adding fat to beef cattle rations increases average daily gain and efficiency of
A variety of by-products are available feed utilization. It also improves absorption of other nutrients, boosts because the rendering industry transforms the metabolizable energy of the diet the roughly half of each meat animal that and counteracts heat stress. In swine, supplementary fat is not edible into usable products. increases energy density, lowers feed cost per sow, and enhances weaning weights, according to NARA. In addition, supplemental fat can help dairy cows maintain body weight during early lactation when energy intake is key to milk production. Rendered products are also a crucial source of valuable nutrients in feedstuffs for poultry. They provide essential fatty acids to help increase egg weight and offer much-needed protein for larger bird growth. continued on page 46
The future is bright for these two foundation females. With accolades and accomplishments that speak for themselves, we are ready to take them to the next level and build the future of our program around these two Matriarchs in the Making.
TASF Whiskey 222F
Homo Polled • Homo Black • 78% Limousin CJSL Dauntless 6257D x TASF Whiskey Lullaby 357W Third Overall Owned, 2019 National Jr. Heifer Show Reserve Grand Champion, 2020 National Western Stock Show Grand Champion Cow/Calf, 2020 National Jr. Heifer Show
1225 East Leestown Road Midway, KY 40347 Greg Blaydes: 859.338. 9402 Nathan Hicks: 859 .576.6738 James Hicks: 859 .227.0490 Will Blaydes: 859.699.8577 https://www.hbfarms.net/ Facebook: @hbfarmscattle WLBL Avalon 608D
Homo Polled • Homo Black • 56% Lim-Flex MAGS Zodiac x AUTO Avalon 222A Supreme Champion, 2018 Southeast Summer Classic Grand Champion Cow/Calf, 2018 National Jr. Heifer Show Supreme Champion Cow/Calf, 2018 Kentucky State Fair
We welcome your visit. Watch for select progeny and genetic opportunities. Show heifers and bulls available at all times.
Your Acceptance... makes it all worthwile.
Our customers’ approval of the cattle we are raising is one of our most important measuring sticks. The acceptance of our cattle has been tremendous this past year and we thank each one of you that have expressed interest and shown support to our program.
CJOR Heidi • CJSL Dauntless x SSTO Fairy Tale Thanks to ATAK Limousin of Avon, IL, for their purchase of CJOR Heidi in our Fall Online Sale. CJOR Hillary • CJSL Dauntless x SSTO Front Runner Thanks to Misty Morning Limousin of Versailles, MO, for their purchase of CJOR Hillary in our Fall Online Sale.
CJOR Heidi
CJOR Hillary
CJOR Daisy
CJOR Daisy • MAGS Cable x LH Abby Thanks to Circle S Cattle of Sealy, TX, for purchasing our consignment at the Texas Limousin Association’s Showcase Sale in Cameron, TX. CJOR Maple • MAGS Cable x LH Yankee Honey Thanks to Roger Webb of Pattonville, TX, for selecting Maple from the TLA Showcase Sale in Cameron, TX. CJOR Maple
CJO Ranch
Jimmy & Cori Onstead • (903) 744-2734 • cjoranch@yahoo.com Prosper, TX • www.cjoranch.com Ralph Hawkins, Manager • (940) 367-4633
Thanks to the following breeders for their purchases in 2020: Rough N Ready Cattle of Blue Ridge, TX; Dee Johnson of Krum, TX; Kenny Ruland of Sanger, TX; Ashlyn Killian, Royce City, TX; and Chloe Oneal of Frisco, TX.
We have calves for sale by Air Force One, Alter Ego, CJSL Dauntless and TASF Crown Royal. Give us a call. We welcome your visit.
Contact us when you are in the market for high quality seedstock or show heifers.
“We’re kind of joined at the hip because most all of our raw material supplies depend on the growth and health of the livestock industry,” said Dr. David Meeker, NARA’s senior vice president of scientific services. “Because so much of animal feed and pet food ingredients are made from these by-products, rendering helps make those industries more sustainable because they don’t have to use human food or virgin ingredients to produce their products.”
Meeker also pointed to an obvious benefit that livestock producers think of when envisioning what renderers do.
“It’s probably a little bit smaller impact because death loss on farms is a small percentage, but all the major livestock areas have rendering services that pick up fallen animals, animals that break a leg or don’t make it to market,” he explained. “Those carcasses are then processed into proteins and fats for fuel and all kinds of other products. It contributes to the sustainability of those production units by preventing those losses from being wasted.”
Collecting dead stock is also a critical control point from an environmental standpoint for a few reasons: •Diverting dead livestock to a rendering facility instead of burial or composting reduces the possibility of disease spread through rodents and other wildlife. Decomposition can provide a
breeding ground for harmful pathogens like Salmonella and E.coli. •The strictly regulated rendering process uses high temperatures to kill off any pathogens, making the by-products safe and reusable. •Natural decomposition involves emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases (GHG). NARA data shows that rendering animal tissues is the GHG reduction equivalent to removing 18.5 million cars off the road each year.
Water Recovery
NARA data shows that rendering The rendering process also helps animal tissues is the greenhouse gas capture and reuse water that might otherwise have been wasted. According reduction equivalent to removing to the Darling green paper, meat by18.5 million cars off the road each year. products are composed of 60 percent water. After the raw material is cooked and any pathogens are killed, that water is extracted before the renderer separates out the fat and proteins. The water is then used to help clean the plant or returned to the municipal water supply for further treatment. All in all, United States renderers evaporate four billion gallons of water annually. The capture and reuse of that water should count toward the sustainability of livestock and poultry. continued on page 48
Much Appreciated
Thank you one and all for your tremendous support at our recent benefit auction. The generosity of the many contributors, bidders and buyers ensures we will be able to continue to promote the Limousin breed and it’s breeders. A special thanks to Linhart Limousin for allowing us the use of their facility. To Roger and Ann Vorthmann for the brisket meal. To the L365 team for hosting the online bidding portion of our auction, and to the live auction team, Mark Smith, Tom Rooney and Wiley Fanta. It was truly a group effort and for that we are thankful.
2021 HEARTLAND LIMOUSIN ASSOCIATION BOARD
Front row, from left: Jason Boyer, Secretary; Randy Corns, President; Emmett Edwards, Vice President; and T.J. Callahan, Treasurer Back row, from left: Jim Venner, Ex Officio,Casey Fanta, Matt Duff, Rob Brawner, Matt Bruner, William Long, and Dean Summerbell, Executive Secretary
POWERFUL GENETICS AT WORK
We have carefully selected genetics from across the country that embody the power, maternal traits and strong EPD profiles we desire. Watch for select genetic opportunities available in the near future.
COLE EARNING POWER 79H
Purebred • Homo Polled • Homo Black AHCC Earning Power 900E ET x COLE Miss Zone 4100B CE: 14 BW: 0.0 WW: 72 YW: 114 MK: 18 SC: 1.25 DC: 15 YG: -0.37 RE: 1.18 MB: 0.11 $MI: 59
Our pick from the 2021 Coleman Limousin Ranch Production Sale. COLE Earning Power 79H combines perfect structure with a balanced, eye appealing look and an excellent set of EPDs. We are eager to witness the tremendous positive impact he will have on our herd.
COLE MISS XRATED 354A
75% Lim-Flex • Homo Polled • Double Black MRL X-Rated 014X x COLE Miss Production 874U CE: 11 BW: 1.7 WW: 70 YW: 103 MK: 30 SC: -0.1 DC: 8 YG:-0.31 RE: 1.01 MB: 0.51 $MI: 72
The dam of sale-topping, breed-changing bulls like COLE Cadillac 05C, COLE Genesis 86G and COLE Homerun 51H ET, COLE Miss XRated 354A will continue to make waves within the breed for years to come. Keep a close eye on this female and for select genetic opportunities available soon.
Wulfs CARTWHEEL 5209C
57% Lim-Flex • Homo Polled • Homo Black Wulfs Zouave 8438Z x Wulfs Zoogamete 2189Z CE: 10 BW: -0.1 WW: 82 YW: 120 MK: 33 SC: 1.6 DC: 16 YG: -0.23 RE: 0.89 MB: -0.17 $MI: 50
One of the strongest black donors for growth and carcass across the entire breed, her progeny are stout and sound with breed topping EPDs and tremendous eye-appeal. She is the dam of the 2021 Black Hills Stock Show Champion Bull, Wulfs Go Cart G095G.
Ben Petre (740) 408-2433 • Caleb Miller (614) 218-2043 13315 Church St., Mt. Perry, OH 43760
Cattle for sale privately at all times. Calls and visits welcome anytime.
PROFITABILITY TAKES BALANCE
Profitability has many components: ease of calving, growth, quality and quantity of end product, maternal ability, as well as convenience traits like docility, soundness, udder and foot quality and the list goes on and on. It makes little sense to concentrate on one or two traits while ignoring other animal attributes. That is why we emphasize a balance of traits, both phenotypic and genetic. Every female is scrutinized for all things beef and every mating is carefully chosen to compliment strengths and improve weaknesses. That is why we utilize bulls like JBV Yellowstone and JBV Nite Watchman, sires that provide balanced EPD profiles, as well as offering functionality and eye appeal. Keeping a balance is what works best for both ourselves and our customers.
Homo Black Homo Polled Purebred CE: 12 BW: -0.1 WW: 70 YW: 108 MK: 24 MB: 0.09 $MI: 59
JBV Yellowstone 901G
AHCC Earning Power 900E ET x JBV Girl Crush 422B
Many thanks to those who have purchased or shown interest in JBV genetics the past year. Special thanks to Brehm Farms, possession owner of JBV Yellowstone 901G, and the entire Yellowstone Syndicate. With some of the most balanced numbers in the breed—12 EPDs in the top 30% and a killer look— we feel this young purebred sire can add balance to your program.
The coffee pot is always on and we welcome your visit. VENNER FAMILY LIMOUSIN
JIM & BECKY VENNER (712) 673-4491 • (712) 830-8381 3891 Taylor Ave., Breda, IA 51436 venner@win-4-u.net • www.vennerlimousin.com
Green Energy and New Applications
If anything screams sustainability, it is reducing the use of fossil fuels. One fast-growing market for green energy utilizes two upcycled byproducts—animal fats and used cooking oil from restaurants. Biodiesel and renewable diesel are two green energy products made possible by utilizing rendered products; an estimated 13 percent of these biofuels are produced with animal fats. These biofuels are recycled, renewable, and add to both industries’ sustainability credentials. There are many new applications for livestock and poultry byproducts being developed now that will add even more benefits to society.
Dr. B.J. Bench, senior director of food safety and quality assurance at Tyson Foods Inc.’s Ingredient Solutions Group, points to the sustainability of using poultry products versus fish in aquafeed.
“Various [fish] species harvested for fishmeal are not a sustainable source for aquaculture feeds,” he explained. “That is why aquaculture nutritionists are looking at replacing a certain percentage of diets utilizing fish meal with other rendered products. For example, chicken by-product meal has a very similar amino acid profile to fish meal, allowing it to be more readily used as an alternative feed ingredient.”
Meeker said research funded by the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation is underway on how rendered proteins and fats can be used in soil remediation and the cleanup of Superfund sites. Other research focuses on lower-quality rendered material that could be used to make cement and building materials that are much more sustainable.
“Actually, they perform better as well,” Meeker stated. “They’re tougher and stronger and more sustainable than cement. So, we can take these low-quality fatty acids and combine them with surplus sulfur creating a replacement for both cement and asphalt.” He added that, in the future, some of these products will likely be used to make roads, parking lots and buildings.
“Those are some of the things that not only are we working on, but that we’re also trying to make sure policymakers are aware of so the rendering and animal agriculture industries can be viewed as part of the solution to climate change and overall sustainability,” Meeker said.
As the livestock and poultry industries seek to tell their sustainability story to consumers and legislators alike, the benefits they reap from rendering—economically and environmentally—should be included. Otherwise, the rest of the story is missing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sharla Ishmael is a veteran agricultural writer from Benbrook, Texas.
One Program... One Constant One Program... One Constant
Our show ring is our pasture and our judges are the customers who propelled us to a great 2021 production sale averaging $6,304 and giving us the “green light” to stay the course.
Over 38 years in the seedstock business, genetics and selection pressure have generated many changes in TREF tattooed cattle. Without question they are calmer, deeper, maternally stronger, more fertile, and have more performance in a more moderate-framed package. The one thing that remains constant is Muscle. Our acceptance has increased exponentially from producers wanting true purebred Limousin genetics, either out of our pastures or our semen tank, that will produce cattle with the muscle the Limousin breed was originally known for.
1990s
2000s
TREF Warrior 202M
2010s
2020s
TREF Ujoint 083U
We will have several open and bred Purebred Limousin females for sale Fall of 2021.
TREF Zeus 232Z
Make Treftz Limousin your one stop to build your own herd of true Limousin cattle for the front pasture!
TREF Hardcore 204H
Check out our website and follow us on Facebook for cattle or direct semen sales!
GLENN TREFTZ (605) 380-0014 12510 370TH AVE. • WETONKA, SD 57481 WWW.TREFTZLIMOUSIN.COM
