Tallow: a case for sustainability

Our products are tallow based but what does that exactly mean? Where does tallow come from and why do we use it as our main ingredient in our products? And why should you even care?

There is a misconception in our society that has fostered and spread misinformation about our favourite farm animals since the 50’s. Cows have been villainized  by numerous groups of lobbyists as detrimental to our environment and our health. The last few years we have seen a great push to propel people to give up their meat and toss our cows to the slaughter, and not literally. When we take a step back and examine the profound impact that our cows have on our lives and our earth we begin to see a different picture all together. 

Although our company endorses sustainable farming practices we also see the cow as a unique and wonderful ruminant animal. Our cows are magnificent creatures and are one of a kind on this earth. These magnificent beings can turn inedible, indigestible grasses and fauna into nutrient dense and life sustaining products that we humans can enjoy and thrive on. Don’t believe us? Keep reading and you might be surprised! 

Venturing back in time we see that farming practices have relied heavily on ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep. From milk products to clothing and everything in between our ruminant animals are used for more than just food. Although with the introduction of the heavy industrial revolution came a shift from local grazing practices to one of factory farming which has created an endless array of problems all it’s own. Factory farming has created in increase in production at the expense of the environment. The more factories the higher the greenhouse emissions, depletion in natural resources, an increase in garbage, a decrease in soil nutrition and much more. Not to mention that factory farming is an egregious act of disrespect for our animals. Ethically speaking factory farming has created a flawed view of how we as humans tend to our animals as well as a massive global disassociation with how we get our food to our tables. This has ultimately led to a misrepresentation of eating meat as a whole.

It’s not the cow, but the how

We have already touched base on factory farming and why on so many levels is a disastrous effort to feed the masses. As a society we have become lazy and apathetic to our food production. Many living in big metropolitan areas simply do not care to think of the process of how our food goes from farm to table. How the process of feed lots and slaughterhouses impact our daily lives and the difference that local farmers have on our food chain production. The case against the cow is flawed and filled with nuisances.

Removing cattle doesn’t mean we will free up land for crop production. More than 60% of agricultural land globally is pasture and rangeland that is too rocky, steep and arid to cultivate agriculture.

“Sacred Cow” Diana Rodgers

According to the numbers as presented by PICC out of the US, agriculture produces 14% of the global greenhouse emissions. What they fail to tell you is the 70-80% of that 14% comes from third world underdeveloped countries that do not practice ethical farming practices. Many of these countries in fact do not adhere to the strict emission regulations like we do in the western world. Also notable to note is that if every American stopped eating animal products and we got rid off all agriculture the total greenhouse gas emissions would drop by 0.3% on a global scale! We find that number staggeringly low considering the amount of alarms bells that have gone off in the last few decades about agriculture and the impact of cows on our environment.

But what does all have to do with tallow and why we use it in our products. Because tallow is the most bioavailable compound that has numerous uses and the least amount of impact on the environment as a whole. Because of talllow’s amazing resemblance to our own skins DNA it makes the best moisturizer, promotes healthy tissue growth, contains vitamins A,D,E and K is is extremely affordable. As well as it has the least amount of environmental impact as it comes straight from the butcher. Our products are focused on keeping it local and living in the prairies of Alberta is as local as you can get when it comes to beef fat.

Check out some of our favourite tallow products below!