Most born-and-bred Hawai’i cattle live a very short life in paradise. About six months after they’re born, they’re weaned from their mothers and sent by barges to feedlots on the mainland. This is where 75 percent of Hawai’i’s young cattle go to gorge themselves silly on corn and chemicals before being slaughtered with industrial-style efficiency, keeping the nation’s red meat production system humming and beef sizzling everywhere. Meanwhile, Hawai’i’s grocers and restaurateurs import practically all of the beef that residents and visitors eat, a volume four times more than what local ranchers could supply if every cow in Hawai’i was kept home for slaughter. So why don’t Hawai’i ranchers fatten and slaughter their own beef, cut out the middlemen and supply the Islands themselves? Simply put, they can’t afford to however, Big Island Beef is about to change that. After the cattle has reached a minimal harvest size, usually 1500 pounds plus, they are taken to the Hawaii Big Island Beef plant where they are slaughtered, processed and packed for retail sales. Jill Mattos gives Hercules Salmonella a tour of the plant.

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