A few years ago, Jessica Roosa, owner of This Old Farm, based in Colfax, Ind., was trying to solve employee turnover issues on the slaughter floor and began investigating solutions for her small, aged facility that is a custom service processor of beef, pork, lamb and poultry. What she discovered was changes that helped staff also helped her animals.

Cattle supply is up and the beef processing industry is near capacity, which is certainly keeping processors busy. It also means facilities are using significantly more water, energy and sanitation chemistry.

One of the primary claims anti-meat activists make against the beef industry revolves around animal handling and welfare.