This pallet of product? has been sitting there for at least 2-3 weeks now. The pile behind it is an ingredient for the processed feed they manufacture. Any time of day there are flocks of pigeons on the pile. Several are dead and decaying and can be found on the properties surrounding this one.
This pile sits along the fence just outside the building in the first picture. Yum! see all of the plastic in the pile? There is an assortment of straw, pallets, plastic and who knows what in and under this one.
Then behind the building, you see the grains and other products coming through the walls and piling up between the trash- barrels, conveyor belting, pallet jacks and all sorts of things...
Then the pile across from that containing tires and broken plastic, metal shelving and who knows what else.
A view under the roof of part of the rest of the facility. Also showing either ingredients or finished products sitting on pallets. Behind them, pile after pile of feed ingredients.
And what is that 'little black box' there by the fence? Yep, a bait block for the rats that are living there. There are several along bordering fences and throughout the property.
One question I have here, why would the rats touch or consume the bait block, when they have an entire yard covering several acres, full of feed and feed ingredients? And when they consume the bait block and die, does the guy driving the front end loader see the rats as he scoops another bucket load for the process?
******
What you cannot see in a couple of the pictures is one of the neighboring companies. A bakery which sells a number of different products across the southwest- Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado New Mexico and Texas. Their products are marketed under 5 different brand names. The facility directly behind this, used to warehouse Flemming Foods.
Now I can understand that anywhere you have food or food products, you run the risk of bugs and rodents. I get it. But to have a facility where no effort is put forth to clean it up or remove things no longer in use, especially when you produce a food product just floors me. Adding to that the nature of the neighboring businesses, residential neighborhood and the food chain? YUCK!
The company that manufactures this brand of feed and goes by two other names as well, produces pig, cattle and HORSE feeds. Mostly grain supplements. They boast being one of the leading companies in the industry. After seeing this and several more photo's of their facility, both ground and aerial views, and knowing a few more things from first hand insider info... You couldn't pay me to take a bag of their stuff. I value my animals and my own health too much for that.
Criminy!!! I see the animal version of the Peanut Corporation of America in our future! How many animals will die before something is done? What can we do? I'd be happy to send pictures/letters to appropriate organizations with more information.
ReplyDeleteShudders ,and heads out to feed PLAI OLD GREEN HAY!
ReplyDeleteWow, that was an eye opener!
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly I never thought much about the facility where some of this stuff is processed and packaged. That is until now! I know that all feed sources- manufacturers, growers, bakers, etc. have some degree of insect or rodent infestation to deal with.
ReplyDeleteRealisticly? You can't keep all of the bugs, mice, rats, birds and flies out of everything and everywhere. On a small scale, like the local bakery or corner store it may be a bit easier, but the farmers have to deal with it and the warehouses and silo's can be overrun pretty easily.
This place though? Pretty much right in the middle of town. Bordered by railroad tracks a neighborhood and a few other businesses. Only the one previously mentioned, the bakery- having anything to do with food. The rest are all steel, stone, welding, pipe, automotive and other types of businesses.
Another interesting fact, I looked up the other plants they have listed on their website. MSN maps features a birdseye view that allows you to scroll across the properties, zoom in and take a good look. (Highly recommended! BTW). This particular feature does not however, use an up to date photo, since the piles out back are not visible in the view online the past couple of weeks.
One of the other plants as well as the corporate office,
seems to be in a residential neighborhood as well. No sight of a processing plant to be found. How strange is that? I will be looking into a few other brands of feed this way as well. Now that I know what goes on in this one, I am curious to know about some of the rest.
Lucky for everyone just viewing the photo's, you can't smell this mess either. The pile in the 3rd pic? After it rains or during extreme heat- it is enough to turn your stomach and make you lose your lunch. Not kidding either. Wish I was!
ReplyDeleteLook grosser then the pre-waste water area at the plant. YUMMY
ReplyDeleteMelamine anyone?! That is just DISGUSTING!
ReplyDeleteBARF!!!!
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I just went to my pet-food site. NOWHERE can you ask a question.
ReplyDeletePretty scary stuff, CNJ.
DAMN.
ReplyDeleteThat's some nasty stuff.
Thanks!!!
Also... I was thinking after the last post about contamination & globalization & Big Corporations....
When the melamine poisoning happened, LOOK at how many brands were affected, from cheapass generic to Hill's Science Diet.
It all came from the SAME PLACE. Now, I know that a company like Hill's also does very specialized foods for pets with health issues, but how come no one started kicking up a fuss that their "super premium" pet food is really made from the same stuff as Old Roy or Dad's?
Also... I work with a woman whose husband is a trucker. Sometimes she rides with him just for fun.
One time, they hauled some wheat to a flour processing plant.
She counted over a dozen different brand names on the trucks that came and went.
All from the SAME PLANT.
Please pass me the King Arthur....
These photos are pretty educational!!
My horse-to-be (home next weekend!) is on plain oats and hay. I'm hoping I can continue that diet at his new barn....
Any hints on which vendor this is for AZ folks? Or at least which vendor it isn't?
ReplyDeleteCP- pretty funny about that, isn't it? High dollar and bottom of the barrel brands all coming from the same place. Just goes to show how easily people can be bullshitted into paying more for the same product. They do the same thing with cars & trucks too. Plenty of companies out there hope you wil pay more and they give you less. Like that's fair? Ha! Not hardly.
ReplyDeleteWe have a couple of grocery store chains here. AJ's Fine Foods, Basha's and Food City. How would you guess they rank price wise across the board? There are others that they compete against like Kroger/Fry's, Safeway/Carr's and Albertsons. My ex assholes dad drove for Flemming and was a Million Mile Member. He was there when they were at the facility behind the one featured here.
Lauren- this company also has plants in California. If you wish to email me I may be so inclined as to drop a name or three... Of their products and maybe another five of the bakery down the tracks from them.