In extension just being a resource for clients is an important part of what we do that adds value to our community.  This spring a local trucking company contacted me about a load of spinach that was rejected due to lack of workers available to offload it when it arrived at the store.   The company was going to receive an insurance payment for the loss but would have to dump it in the landfill if I couldn’t come up with a use for the 42,000 lbs. of spinach.  I first contacted, Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler to make sure we could use it in a beef cattle ration and what the nutritional value would be.   He indicated that 1000 lbs. of spinach would replace 200 lbs. of commodity feed.  I then found a farmer who would have the capacity to use that amount of spinach and a way to feed it.  I then coordinated with the trucking company to deliver the spinach to the nearby farm.  The spinach saved the farmer $1000 in feed costs.  The trucking company avoided the landfill costs of over $500 and felt good about utilizing the product instead of dumping it.