For nearly half a century, farmers in Moore County, Tennessee, relied on a unique partnership with the Jack Daniel’s distillery. The company’s leftover grain mash, known locally as slop, was given away for free or at a very low cost to feed cattle. It was a simple exchange that kept livestock fed and waste out of landfills. Now that long-running deal has come to an end, and local farmers say the impact could be devastating.
Jack Daniel’s has decided to end the so-called “cow feeder” program and will instead send the byproduct to Three Rivers Energy, a company that turns it into renewable gas and fertiliser. Farmers like Terry Holt, who’s been collecting slop daily for decades, say the decision threatens their way of life in a county where nearly 90 percent of farms raise livestock. Some have already begun selling off land and cattle. Jack Daniel’s has acknowledged the change is significant but insists it remains committed to the community as it moves into what it calls “a new era.” For farmers who grew up tied to the distillery, that reassurance rings hollow.
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