The holiday edition of the Nicholas Meat Quarterly is now available. In this edition, we provide construction updates on the Sustainable Resource Facility (SRF) as well as the new cattle barn.

As you drive past the plant on East Valley Road, construction progress is not always noticeable. The Quarterly provides a look inside at some of the progress happening on both sides of the road.

SRF and Cattle Barn Construction Updates

Let’s head to the north end of the SRF site and look to the south at a group of tanks.

How many tanks do you see in this picture? That’s right. There are seven. There’s actually one more that can’t be seen. It’s tucked behind the three shorter tanks on the left, which makes for a total of eight tanks. The two center tanks are 68 feet tall and the tank to the right is 52 feet tall. The shortest tank with the dome will continue to grow and be like the others that are 68 feet tall. These tanks, once operational, will be key components of the wastewater treatment and water reclamation process.  You can read more about the SRF in past issues of the Quarterly newsletter online.

Watch Video: Come inside one of the tanks of the SRF and see how they are erected. There are hydraulic jacks around the base where workers assemble each ring of steel wall panels starting at the floor. Once one ring is complete, workers raise it with the jacks, and another ring is assembled underneath it. This process continues until the tank is at full height. This tank will eventually be 68 feet tall.

Construction of the new cattle barn is scheduled to be completed early in the new year. The barn has the potential to hold 1000 head of cattle. When completed, the barn will enable cattle to be delivered 24 hours a day and housed comfortably. There are 15 fans around the new barn to ensure air circulation which enhances the comfort of the animals in all weather conditions. Each fan is nine feet in diameter. The slotted floors will eventually be rubber-coated to provide comfort and traction for the cattle. An automatic flushing system will periodically wash waste from the cattle through the slots and be transferred under the floor to a dewatering operation. Water from this operation will be treated and recycled back to the flushing system, with the solids being land-applied. Once the SRF is in operation, solids will be transferred to the anaerobic digesters to create renewable biogas.

The new barn supports the company’s commitment to sustainability as well as animal handling. Research demonstrates that many meat quality benefits can be gained through careful, quiet animal handling and the new facility was designed with this in mind.

Other news you’ll find in the Nicholas Meat Quarterly:

• Holiday Greetings
• Parmesan-Crusted Strip Roast Recipe
• 12 Days of Beef on Facebook

Read the Nicholas Meat Quarterly.