Two weeks ago I flew to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to tour the research and manufacturing facilities of Diamond V and meet with some of its leaders. One short week after I boarded that United Airbus, Cargill announced that they were acquiring Diamond V.

C.W. Bloomhall founded Diamond V 75 years ago. John Bloomhall is the third generation chairman of the board. Diamond V makes feed additives through proprietary anaerobic fermentation technology that creates unique natural immune support products with multiple benefits.

The leaders I met with presented a good case for claiming their products lower contamination rates of meat and poultry products with Salmonella, Campy and E coli O157:H7 while increasing milk production by 3-5 pounds per day per cow and other health benefits in cows, pigs, chickens and other animals such as rabbits and horses.

The resistance to antibiotics rates in the pathogens that were present is also significantly lower in comparison to the NARMS data.

And liver abscess numbers in feed lot cattle, when compared to the current almost universal use of macrolides (think Z-Pack in human medicine), were impressive.

Reportedly, the products strengthen the animal’s immune system, keeping them healthier and decreasing the need for general antibiotic use to control and prevent infections in our herds and flocks, something almost all of us want.

With consumers calling for more natural and wholesome food production, this product seems to meet their requests.

I would welcome the chance to talk about these types of new ways forward, rather than always defending products used in animal agriculture that are blasted by some consumers, such as rBST, beta agonists and antibiotics.

As it turned out the trip was productive for two very good reasons:

It was exciting to learn that the technology exists to change the way today’s animals are fed and to hopefully further reduce the use of antibiotics in the animal agriculture industry; and that Cargill, leader in the industry that it is, obviously is investing in just such technology; and that will force others to react to their lead.
I got to stay with, and visit with, my sister Carol who lives in Cedar Rapids with her family. Amazingly enough, my last trip prior to this one was to make a presentation in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Carol’s twin sister Cheryl lives. What are the odds of that happening? About the same as eliminating the need for antibiotics in animals for control and prevention of disease.

But eliminating the need for antibiotics in animals for control and prevention of disease is key to safe food production. After my trip to Cedar Rapids, I think we are another step closer to that possibility.

(Full Disclosure: Diamond V did pay my travel expenses, but no compensation for my time was offered, nor did they ask me to pen this blog, nor compensate me for it. There does remain, however, a possibility that in the future I may be asked to assist Diamond V in finding ways to further promote their products.)

My, how things can change in a heartbeat

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