Animal Welfare Handling with care Marketing animal welfare practices and certification is gaining momentum W BY LARRY AYLWARD of guy." meatpoultry@sosland.com ill Witherspoon spent 11 years eats. It's a big reason why he began menacing running backs and Shire Gate Farm, which produces quarterbacks as a linebacker for four grass-fed beef hot dogs and burgers NFL teams. But while tough on the produced from cattle raised sustain- gridiron, Witherspoon is a softie when ably using the highest welfare standards it comes to animals and nature. in the US, according to Witherspoon. "I've always loved animals," says "We're committed to producing Witherspoon, who retired from the great value wholesome food as natu- NFL last year with nearly 1,000 tack- rally as possible," he says. les. "I've always been a nature kind Witherspoon is touting that Owensville, Mo.-based Shire Gate Farm's 16 Witherspoon is even more of a na- hot dogs and burgers are certified by ture guy when it comes to the food he Animal Welfare Approved (AWA), a * Meat&Poultry * November 2014 * www.MeatPoultry.comhttp://www.MeatPoultry.com