You get WHAT from a COW??????

This past week my Farmer and I participated in a program called Ranchers feeding Youth.  This was the second one we've helped with.  I totally love this!  It is put on by our counties Idaho Farm Bureau Federation and the ranchers in the area , and is headed up by a very lovely lady at the University of Idaho Extension office.  Our population these days are so removed from the farm/ranch that it is really important for us involved in agriculture to bring the farm/ranch to the people.  And this program is doing that.  Our lovely UofI Lady has put a lot of work into this and we are hopeful to eventually have it in all of our area schools. After we have the kids rotate through 3 different stations, we then bar-b-que them hamburgers for lunch.  The three stations include food safety, animal by-products, and animal production.  My Farmer has been helping with the animal production station.  In it they show a short video of a heifer calving, and then it's just an open discussion period.  I'm sure they get some interesting questions from the kids after the video.  I help with the animal by-product station.  This subject is dear to me because it was one of the things I touched on when I was doing Ag in the classroom some years ago.  I did post a short story awhile back Is a day without Agriculture possible?, that touched on this subject.  It is really mind blowing when you learn what different things in our lives are actually made with an animal by-product.   One thing that I like to point out is glue.  Stop and look around.....what do you see that is made with glue?  This is a by-product of animals.  What about gelatin?  Also a by-product.  And what about medicine and medical supplies.  Collogen, pancreatin, heparin, coritsol, and medical sutures are all made with by-products from a cow.  And the list goes on and on.  So even if you do not eat beef, you most likely are using it in one way or another, in your everyday life.  Candles, cosmetics, insulation, plastics, leather, antifreeze, yogurt, pasta, and cake mixes are all made with beef by-products.  Without beef as a renewable resource, not only would the butcher's job be affected, but also the businesses that produce pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and textiles.  Yes, it even affects the baker and the candlestick maker.
So next time you see a cow out grazing in the pasture, remember...if she did not exist, not only would that beef steak or hamburger not be on the dinner menu, a lot of other things that we have come to rely on to make our lives easier, would also not exist.