Comments on: A Meaty Problem

By: Walter Jeffries

Walter Jeffries — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:12:37 +0000

Sorry to hear that you too have been hit by butcher woes. This is a major problem that ultimately means bad news for consumers as they lose the local choice. The slaughter and butchering problem is big, perhaps the biggest issue threatening our farming, of getting our pork to your fork. Unfortunately the mobile slaughter units are very restricted. You need to have an accessible area with a large turn off, sufficient water and power for them. In the winter you wouldn��t want to drive those trucks on most roads where farms are. Mud season is even worse. Mobile slaughter is part of the solution which will help take the pressure off the slots at the few remaining processors but it won’t work for some of us at all. Our solution is forming up, literally.

By: Renee Martin

Renee Martin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:45:03 +0000

I’ve passed this post to everyone I can think of who can either get the word out to find options or who possible have connections to people with solutions.

I know this is unimaginably frustrating for you, but I agree with Carrie, the upside is a greater demand for artisanal meat and that’s definitely a good thing. Hopefully, this uptick will spur would-be butchery entrepreneurs to step forward to meet the demand.

I know many people will be watching your blog closely to discover any and all solutions you may offer in future posts that may help solve their own dilemmas.

By: Lorraine

Lorraine — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:47:01 +0000

Bravo, bravo, bravo to you for raising meat the right way. As a consumer, humane handling–including quick, humane, on site slaughter–is the deal-breaker. I’m glad to pay more this peace of mind.

I’m dismayed that your butcher left you in the lurch.

Here in New York my farmer used a mobile slaughter unit until their own farm, Sap Bush Hollow, was certified as a USDA slaughter house. Now local farmers come to them for processing. Here’s their site: http://www.sapbush.com/

I know this isn’t a solution for you this fall–can only hope and pray you find another resource.

By: Helping Solve A Meaty Problem « Every Kitchen Table

Helping Solve A Meaty Problem « Every Kitchen Table — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:46:46 +0000

[...] And there is the crux of the matter. As local meats gain popularity and as more people invest in raising some animals of their own the Custom Slaughter companies are no longer looking for work. The business I have been most happy with��after trying and rejecting several over the years��is also working at capacity, so much so that coming to the island for 7 pigs once a year isn��t worth the trouble for him. Usually there are other farms on the island who need to slaughter around the same time and the custom slaughter truck can make several stops, this allows the farms to share the cost of the ferry trip, making it more affordable for everyone. But the point is the good butcher shops are in demand on the mainland and they know it. They can afford to be a bit more choosy leaving the rest of us in the lurch. Read more. [...]

By: Carrie Oliver

Carrie Oliver — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:47:07 +0000

Neal, I’m sorry to hear about this dilemma especially as I know how important it is for you to offer artisan quality pork to your customers and this can’t be done without low stress slaughter and top quality butchering/cutting.

It strikes me that your butcher isn’t such a smart business person, leaving a devoted customer in the lurch. While some might think that pork or beef grows on trees, available whenever one has the desire to eat it, a butcher would be acutely aware of the fact that there is a particular time for harvest and missing it isn’t an option. Okay, I’m just commiserating with you here, off the soap box.

Perhaps the upside to your story is that the increased demand from people wanting to buy their meat more directly from an artisan producer will justify the investment in slaughter plants that can serve those consumers and producers. The presence of the custom & USDA mobile units and (some stationary ones) in the Pacific Northwest is one of the key reasons I’m spending time in the area, this is the place to prove an a new meat model can work. The road to a decentralized, transparent, community-based food system sure seems to have a lot of bumps along the way, striving for artisan quality makes it even harder.

None of this helps you, though, and having tasted the pork you raise – absolutely delicious and with a tangy apple finish – I am sad for both you and your customers. I’m quite sure you’ll solve this dilemma but if there is anything I can do to help, please do let me know.

By: kitchenMage

kitchenMage — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:27:43 +0000

This totally sucks! I remember when that mobile slaughter unit was being set up, we were both rooting for you and wishing it was us. I know all the business reasons the slaughter folks don’t want to come, but part of the whole point here is to think beyond just the money. Good luck! (on the upside, your tweet about this made me call the farm in next valley and reserve half a pig.