California Ranchers Produce Million Dollar Cattle

California Ranchers Produce Million Dollar Cattle LIVESTOCK Beef 22-4-5 Everyone talks about "added value" but how about this California ranch couple that manages to extract $1 million of products from each head of cattle they produce. As reported recently by Eric Grant in BEEF TODAY, the most lucrative product sold by Jim and Mary Richert of Macdowel, Calif., is collagen, which is used for cosmetic surgery and skin grafts. Since 1990, they've been selling beef collagen to a drug company - Collagen & Cohesion Company - that requires "source-verified" cattle in order to eliminate the risk of spreading animal disease to humans. The Richerts' ranch was ideal because the cow herd had been closed for 15 years. Except for bulls, no new cows had been introduced. Also, the ranch is in an isolated location far from other cattle. In addition, the herd had been cared for by the same veterinarian since the 1960's, which meant herd health records were complete and comprehensive. The Rickerts sell four main products from their beef cattle: Collagen - It's taken from hides for injecting under the skin in surgery. The retail value of the collagen taken from a single hide can reach $1 million. The Rickerts get only a fraction of that but they note that it still pays far better than just raising beef. Blood - The drug company collects blood from the animals to produce a surgical adhesive that glues together organs that can't be sutured, such as a liver or spleen. f Bones - Bones from the Rickerts' cattle are turned into surgical products such as plates, pins and screws and used in place of similar stainless steel devices. The company working on this new idea says the devices are still in the experimental phase. Beef - Because the ranch's primary purpose is to supply pharmaceutical companies, the beef is actually just a by-product of the operation. However, even in this area the Rickerts stand out from the crowd. Carcasses are "dry-aged" for two to three weeks and then sold through a local grocer or direct off the ranch. The Rickerts say demand for the dry-aged beef has been tremendous, probably helped by the fact that it's known the cattle from their ranch receive more tender-loving care than probably any other beef cattle in the country. They even claim their tender meat has enticed some vegetarians back to eating meat. All processing of the cattle is done by hand on the ranch. Meticulous records must be kept of every stage of the animals' lives and water and soil on the ranch must be tested regularly to check for contaminants. The record keeping is demanding but the Rickerts say the extra work is worth it.

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