According to the USDA data, 89% of the farms in Moore County are livestock operations.
Source: Newchannel5
MOORE COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — For decades, the Jack Daniel’s distillery and farmers in Moore County, Tennessee, maintained a mutually beneficial relationship that helped both parties thrive.
The distillery provided its corn slop byproduct to local farmers at zero or low cost through what’s known as the Cow Feeder Program, giving livestock operators an affordable feed source while helping the company dispose of its waste.
That partnership is coming to an end on March 31, leaving farmers devastated and scrambling for alternatives.
Terry Holt has made the daily drive to the Jack Daniel’s distillery since he was 20 years old, hauling back tens of thousands of gallons of slop to feed his hundreds of head of cattle. For 45 years, he’s made this trip every single day.
But Jack Daniel’s is scrapping the Cow Feeder Program. Instead of providing the slop to local farmers, the company has contracted with Three Rivers Energy, an energy plant that converts the byproduct into renewable gas and fertilizer.
“All I know is that’s gonna destroy us,” Holt said.
