|
There is a new model of veal
production on the horizon, and the Limousin breed will be a key
component in it, according to one of the largest U.S. veal
processors. Concern for
animal welfare, increased competition for dairy calves, climbing
whey prices and declining consumption led Strauss Brands to
identify an alternative to the current system, explained Randy
Strauss, the company’s co-president.
“The newest thing in veal really
isn’t that new,” he said. “It is so obvious that we almost
overlooked it – Mother Nature.”
Instead of the traditional system
of feeding a byproduct of cheese-making (whey) to a byproduct of
the dairy industry (bull calves), Strauss Brands’ new model
calls for all-natural, meadow-raised, preweaned beef animals.
After researching several breeds, the company decided the ideal
calf for such a system is a 450- to 500-pound, Limousin-influenced
(at least 50 percent) bull, heifer or steer that is traceable to
its place of birth.
“We are delighted Strauss Brands
has identified the Limousin breed as the base from which to
build its new product line,” said Kent Andersen, Ph.D.,
executive vice president of the North American Limousin
Foundation (NALF). “The Limousin breed’s industry-leading
retail-product yield and efficiency, end-product palatability
and healthfulness, and respected culinary reputation around the
world match beautifully with the program’s objectives.”
The concept of Strauss® Meadow Reserve™ veal already has
garnered positive attention from the company’s established
foodservice and retail clients.
“Every day, I see more articles
and e-mails sent out, directing people down this wholesome and
healthy path,” Strauss said. “People are demanding this type of
product. They are yearning for it. And it’s our job to provide
it for them. We need to educate them and to share with them our
idea of this tasty, nutritious and authentic protein.”
Despite the promise of
significant demand, the company is committed to careful,
monitored growth, Strauss added.
“We already are working with
several of our eager partners on the rollout of this program,”
he said. “We will support this product launch with advertising
and consumer education.”
An exclusive supply-development plan developed with NALF and
Five Star Cattle Systems calls for Strauss Brands to begin
accepting calves in May. Following a “ramp-up” process over the
summer, limited distribution will begin by fall.
Andersen said NALF gladly agreed
to endorse and help build a supply network for Strauss Brands.
“It is a privilege to work with
such an established, reputable and innovative company,” he
stated. “The larger we can help grow available year-round
supply, the more net return we can add for users of Limousin
genetics.”
In exchange for consistently
sized, docile calves raised mostly on their mothers’ milk,
Strauss Brands will offer Limousin producers negotiated
liveweight prices. Any carcass that falls within the desired
weight range will earn a bonus. Adding to that income potential
will be the reduced costs and labor associated with marketing
weaning calves directly to the processor.
Strauss delineated the savings:
“You will not have to castrate your bull calves. You will not
have to precondition your calves for the feedyard. You will not
have to dehorn. You will not have to implant. You will not have
to wean. And you will not have to worry about freight and
commissions.”
Andersen agreed the simplicity is
one of the most attractive aspects about supplying calves to the
Strauss Brands program.
“When cow-calf producers combine
simple, natural production using Limousin or Lim-Flex® bulls
with reduced feed and labor costs, the time savings, and the
available premiums, they have an opportunity that warrants
serious business consideration,” he said. “They also can take
pride in knowing they’re playing an essential role in producing
a new, innovative, branded product for a growing range of
sophisticated consumers.”
Andersen added that all Limousin
producers will benefit from the production and carcass data
Strauss Brands will collect and share with NALF as part of the
exclusive sourcing agreement.
A 70-year-old, third-generation,
family-owned company, Strauss Brands is one of the largest veal
processors and fabricators in the United States. While the
overall veal industry has been shrinking for the past 20 years,
Strauss Brands has tripled its business since 2001.“We are a
progressive-minded company with the foresight to market what the
public is looking for,” Strauss said. “There is nothing like
Meadow Reserve veal in the marketplace. This is innovative and
exciting, and it is an opportunity to be part of something good
for not only animal agriculture but also the consumer.”
He added that, in bringing a new
production model to the veal industry, his company would
increase the value of calves sired by registered and properly
transferred Limousin and Lim-Flex bulls.
For more information about
marketing Limousin-influenced weaning calves to the Strauss
Meadow Reserve veal program, contact Frank Padilla, NALF
director of member and commercial relations, at (303) 220-1693.
The North American Limousin
Foundation (www.nalf.org),
headquartered in Centennial, Colo., provides programs and
services – including genetic evaluation of 5,000 active sires –
to more than 4,000 members and their commercial customers. The
Limousin breed and its
Lim-Flex® hybrid lead the beef industry in muscle-growth
efficiency and ideally complement British breeds. |
