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More than food

We get so much more from agriculture than food. Learn more about some of the by-products from animal ag:

By-products from sheep

By-products from pigs

By-products from cattle

In addition to delicious, nutritious beef, cattle also produce a variety of by-products used in industrial, pharmaceutical and household items. Fats and gelatin are used to make soap, shampoo, cosmetics, desserts and many industrial products such as photographic film and light filters.

The pancreas and liver are used for medicines for diseases such as anemia and hypoglycemia.

Hide, hooves and hair are used in products such as sports equipment, leather goods and paint brushes. Did you know that the hide and hair from a beef animal typically weigh about 100 pounds?

Information provided by the Nebraska Foundation for Agriculture Awareness and the Nebraska Beef Council.

Courtesy Farm Credit Knowledge Center

By-products from pigs

Everybody knows pigs provide us with delicious bacon. But pigs provide us with everything from medicines, to artist's brushes to heart valves! Did you know that bone china comes from pigs? So do many lubricants, waterproofing agents and crayons. Then of course, we can't forget about the old pigskin: footballs!

footballs are made from pig skin

Courtesy Farm Credit Knowledge Center

By-products from sheep:

Courtesy Farm Credit Knowledge Center

Here are a couple other interesting facts:

Biodiesel is made from soybeans, ethanol is made from corn.

Our favorite jeans are made of cotton. One bale of cotton weighs around 480 pounds and can be used to make 215 pairs of jeans or 313,600 $100 bills.