Did you know that some of our most common things around the house come from plants? Think about a cotton shirt, almonds, orange juice and sugar. These are all products that are made from plants. So, what happens to the rest of the plant?
The remnants of the plants that cannot be used are called byproducts. Dairy farmers feed byproducts, like cotton seeds, almond hulls, orange peels, and sugar beets, to their cows. These byproducts are of great nutritional value for the cows and this use of upcycling prevents these materials from ending up in a landfill.
Take a look at how Michael Siegersma, an Idaho dairy farmer, incorporates byproducts in his cows' diets.
