Cargill is investing nearly $90 million in automation and new technologies at its Fort Morgan, Colo., beef plant as part of its “Factory of the Future” initiative. The enhancements, which will take place over the next several years, will help Cargill improve operational efficiencies, increase yields, and make the Fort Morgan facility safer and more inclusive for employees. The company has invested nearly $24 million in technology upgrades at Fort Morgan since 2021.

One of the first automated solutions to be implemented at the Fort Morgan plant will be CarVe, Cargill’s patent-pending computer vision technology. CarVe measures red meat yield in real time, giving frontline managers insights and the ability to share feedback with employees to improve their cutting techniques.

CarVe helps keep protein in the food system that otherwise would be lost in the process. According to the USDA, the U.S. produces more than 27 billion pounds of beef annually. Even a 1% yield improvement can save hundreds of millions of pounds of meat. In addition, with the U.S. cattle supply at its lowest level in years, improving yield matters more than ever.

“Before CarVe, yield data was always yesterday’s news,” says Jarrod Gillig, senior vice president of Cargill’s North American beef business. “Now, we’re making decisions in the moment and saving product that would’ve been lost. By applying smart technology to the problem, we’re getting more meat from every animal, reducing waste, and making protein production more efficient and sustainable from start to finish.”

Gillig notes that Cargill has also invested in the Fort Morgan community and its people. To help address a regional housing shortage, the company has backed a $40 million development project for employee housing. This includes 27 townhomes, which have already been built, and an apartment complex with 81 units, which is set to open in the fall. Moreover, Cargill has provided more than $500,000 in grants to local organizations, including the United Way, to support childcare options and other programs that help address the regional housing issue, like first-time homebuyer classes.

“Fort Morgan plays an important part in Cargill’s critical role as a food company to the nation and the world,” Gillig says. “By partnering with local ranchers and farmers in Colorado and the region, we’re working hard to produce more food with less impact there so we can move it to store shelves and, ultimately, family dinner tables across the country.”