Whether you’re a consumer or the consumed, it’s hard not to love the tasty snacks labeled as Herr’s.

And it’s also hard not to love the savory sustainability story behind the feeding of discarded Herr’s snack product to its own beef cattle herd.

“We call it steer party mix,” Herr Angus Farms Manager Dennis Byrne said of a feed mixture that includes throw-away potato chips, popcorn, and pretzels, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report by Joy Manning.

By doing so, the popular snack maker saves money on the factory’s waste removal costs and saves money on the West Nottingham farm’s feed costs at the same time, just like the savings from reusing potato-scrubbing water for pasture irrigation.

And the resulting meat is equally tasty.

“The beef from these cows tastes great, is very tender and, wow, what a great farm-to-table story,” Herr’s partner Bill Pew said.

Meat from Herr Angus Farms now commands a premium at restaurants like Talula’s Garden and Urban Farmer, as well as butcher Cappuccio’s Meats.

And it’s all because of a taste profile that boasts a “pronounced beefy flavor that is stronger than typical beef but milder than lamb,” said Talula’s Garden Executive Chef Charles Parker. “I think the pasture contributes that dominant flavor. The party-mix finishing feed lends the more subtle things. For example, it has an unusual toasted cheddar note, and it’s a little sweet.”

Read more about the uniquely sustainable Herr’s angus feed on Philadelphia Inquirer here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of the local snack company here.