T
hings are never quite what
one might expect. Imagine
a place that deals with the
innards of a cow, BARF (Biologically
Appropriate Raw Food), or “live” dog
food. The mental image gets a little
gross. Instead, imagine a typical retail/
wholesale office, a clean, spacious
processing area with oversized grinders
and sausage stuffers, large coolers and
freezers in an industrial area in Gilroy.
That place is GreenTripe.Com owned
by Mary and Peter Voss.
GreenTripe moved to Gilroy when
their Hollister operation was sold
out from under them because of the
burgeoning cannabis industry there.
They then bought an 8,400-square-
foot space in Gilroy in 2017. The idea
for the company goes back to Holland,
where electrical engineer, Peter, and
software engineer, Mary, worked for
several years. While there, they raised
Afghan Hounds and in the European
tradition they fed their hounds
green tripe.
Returning to the U.S., Mary
and Peter could not find green tripe
available commercially. Mary found a
cow rancher willing to sell her the raw
tripe. She then prepared it herself for
her dogs. Soon others asked for the
miracle dog food and, in 2000, Green-
Tripe.com became a reality in Hollister.
Today, GreenTripe.Com produces about
three thousand pounds a day or sixty
thousand pounds a month. They also
produce several variations of other
“live” dog foods. One such variation is
Xkaliber: Green Tripe, Heart, Tongue,
Trachea and Ground Bone, which is
for younger or serious working dogs.
There is even a more finely-ground
version for cats called Tiger’s Choice.
GreenTripe.com products are shipped
frozen all over the U.S. and also to a
few international locations.
Green tripe is not the white
antiseptic tripe one sees in menudo.
It is the raw innards of the cow’s stom-
achs. A cow has four stomachs! The
science behind the effectiveness of this
product is well documented and heav-
ily backed up by anecdotal evidence.
Among the benefits noted are flea and
tick prevention, healthier coat with
richer color, more luster and shine,
whiter teeth, increased energy and
alertness, and less stool production.
Mary Voss has become a published
authority on the effectiveness of green
tripe. Green tripe is “live” food. It is not
cooked, and there are no additives. It is
a coarsely ground cow’s stomach.
Green tripe is made from local
California Grass Feed, Certified Organic
animals, and the USDA has certified
it for consumption. The tripe arrives
whole. It is kept chilled to minimize
smell and to facilitate the final
packaging process. It is washed and
cleaned of excess hay and undigested
organic matter. It is then ground into
large chunks, fed through the sausage
stuffer and quickly frozen. The chubs
(a fat sausage) come in one pound, two
pound, and 5 pound sizes. The chubs
need to be kept frozen until defrosted
for canine consumption. Once defrost-
ed they do smell, but what dog does
not like smelly things!
Peter Voss retired recently from
his electrical engineering career. But
the same engineer skills keep him
busy trying to make the operation
more efficient. He initially thought of
himself as the venture capitalist behind
the operation, but now he is running
operations full time. Currently, the
company employs eight people. They
still have room to grow.
A little side story: In 2009 Mike
Rowe’s show, Dirty Jobs, came to the
Hollister location and filmed an episode
at GreenTripe.com
The local community welcomes
this unique business and commends
them for the community spirit they
have already shown by being a major
sponsor at the Gilroy Chamber’s Paws
in the Park on June 1, 2019—and we
thank them for not living up to our
gross image of cow innards, BARF and
“live” dog food.
“I know this is all really hard
to stomach, but dogs do thrive on
it. From couch potato to sport and
working dogs, they all will benefit from
green tripe. In conclusion, there is
nothing tripe about tripe!” Mary Voss,
“No Guts, No Glory.”
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
FALL/HOLIDAY 2019
“There’s no doubt about it;
tripe consumption results in an
exceptional quality of life for all my
dogs. Their physical and mental
health is extraordinary, given their
ages. None of them need to be on
any prescription medications since
the tripe so effectively keeps their
symptoms under control. As a
matter of fact, I have to stock up on
GreenTripe product line to ensure
that I will have enough food in the
event of a disaster! Their products
are literally lifesavers and bring my
dogs and me incredible peace
of mind!”
Sally Gutierrez
“Fred thinks he died and went to
heaven! Today our six pounds of
Liver Biscotti arrived (that’s 3600
liver biscotti treats!), and our eight
pounds green tripe sampler was also
awaiting us. I tell you, I’ve got the
best-behaved dog on the planet. He’s
just following me around tonight,
licking his chops, saying ‘What
would you like me to do?’ ”
Gina Barnett
gmhtoday.com
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