The Economic Impact of the Stanislaus County Food Processing Industry and the Food Processing By-Products Use Program

Jay E. Noel, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Sean P. Hurley, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Jessica Bylsma, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

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Copyright © 2007 by Jay E. Noel, Sean P. Hurley and Jessica Bylsma.

Abstract

In the late 1970’s, Stanislaus County recognized that there existed a potential issue with the disposal of food processing by-products. The concern at the time was that the disposal of the by-products could be handled in a more efficient manner that could benefit all interested stakeholders. In 1978, the county took a proactive stance on the issue and brought together a group of producers, UC extension representatives, management from local food processors, and other interested stakeholders to discuss better ways of handling the by-products that came from processing agricultural products. As a result of these discussions, Stanislaus County developed the Stanislaus County Food Processing By-Product Use Program. This program allows food processors to take their by-products to local agricultural producers, who in turn reuse the by-products by feeding it to their livestock, drying, composting, or spreading across their field as a soil amendment. The county through a self-supporting permitting process oversees how producers use the by-product to minimize any potential deleterious effects that could occur to society due to the program (Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors).