State of veal: Housing on track, profitability is back

America’s veal farmers are closing in on a significant achievement. A decade ago when a national conversation on animal housing was in its infancy, veal producers chose to act.

“We made a commitment on animal housing when others were just beginning to talk about it,” says Dale Bakke, president of the American Veal Association. “Around 90 percent of milk-fed veal calves are in group housing today and we expect to complete the transition by the end of next year as we said we would back in 2007.”

By the end of 2017, veal farmers will have invested more than $50 million in new and renovated barns that provide an environment for calves to be comfortable and thrive.

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State of Veal: Producers making progress amid economic challenges

Consumers want safe, wholesome affordable food and the American Veal Association and the veal industry is committed to providing it. In addition, veal growers are committed to providing the best care for their calves, as shown by estimates that up to 85 percent of veal calves are now in group pen systems. This is on pace to meet the industry goal of the entire U.S. herd switching to group housing by the end of 2017.

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Hunting E.coli

In the meat industry, one might consider Wayne Marcho, founder of Marcho Farms, to be a trailblazer, as he has had a long history of investment into doing “what’s right” by the company and its consumers — the most recent evidence occurring when its continuous improvementefforts were turned toward its already-strong food-safety record.

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