On our drive to Dutch Valley, Kayla and I talked about the nutritional importance of protein in the human diet and I decided to do some research on my own. Vegans, and even vegetarians, have to eat more food with more calories to get the protein they need. For example, 3 cups of quinoa are about 670 calories with 25 grams of protein, which is about 50% of your Daily Value (DV). while 3 ounces of beef is about 170 calories with the same amount of protein. That’s a 500 calorie difference! Beef gives you the nutrients your body needs while tasting amazing. A 3 ounce serving of cooked beef on average provides 170 calories and:

• Iron, which helps your body use oxygen (14% DV)

• Choline that supports the nervous system’s development (13% DV)

• Protein, to help preserve and build muscle (51% DV)

• Selenium helps protect cells from damage (38% DV)

• Vitamins B6 and B12. These help maintain brain function and give you energy (24% and 41% DV)

• Phosphorus helps to build bones and teeth (20% DV)

• Zinc maintains a healthy immune system (39% DV)

• Niacin supports energy production and metabolism (25% DV)

• Riboflavin converts food into fuel (14% DV)

Caring for the animals is important, but caring for yourself is more important <3

Before our visit, I worried about the cleanliness and hygiene of meat processing facilities. I imagined that there would be blood splatters on the walls of the kill room or just straight-up filth everywhere. However, as you will see in the pictures I took, Seth is a germaphobe and wanted his building to be spotless. There was not a speck of blood anywhere, the floors were clean and not blood-covered, the raw meats and the cooked meats were separated into two different freezers, and every surface in the butchering room was clean (unless it was being used of course). To add, Dutch Valley looked clean and also smelled clean! It didn’t smell of dead, rotting animals, which I was fully expecting. Even in the raw meat freezer, it smelled clean. However, I wasn’t really focusing on the smell that much, as it was freezing cold in there! Of course, it should be cold in there because the low temperatures help to preserve the meat and keep any bacteria away. 

My only  concern was that the butchers were not wearing gloves. I asked Seth about this and he responded with a very good point of, “Gloves can be just as dirty as your own hands.” He explained that there are no regulations around glove use when handling raw meat and that frequent hand washing is the most effective way to prevent foodborne illness. However, you cannot guarantee that the butchers are washing their hands after, for example, going to the bathroom. Or, when they are switching from handling raw meat to cooked meat. We asked Seth for clarification on this and he assured us that their policy is to wear gloves when handling ready-to-eat foods (just like in fast food) like their beef sticks. 

I also wanted to know how the animals were treated before they were slaughtered. Seth showed me the room where they are kept (I forgot to take a picture!). They are fairly small pens with just enough room for one cow to lay down, but the animals are being held here for less than 24 hours. If they are held here for more than 24 hours, they have to be fed from sensible food sources. For example, you can’t feed pigs some hay. All of the animals have access to clean drinking water for this duration. 

Dutch Valley has made me very comfortable with where my food comes from, and I hope you feel the same way! When I agreed to take a tour of Dutch Valley, I was expecting to be grossed out and never want to eat a cheeseburger again. Dutch Valley is way cleaner than I assumed, the animals are treated and killed ethically, and everything seems safe and well taken care of here. This place has the Grace Approval Stamp! 

Resources: “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.”