Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Finding Local Help
Many beginners aren't sure how to start processing their own meat, or just flat don't want to do it.
There are other options available but they all involve a little more (sometimes a lot more) money.
You can take the animal to a local butcher or meat processor. We have a local source that we really
like because we are always sure to get our own meat back (see the following sidebar).
Expect that the cost of having someone else process your chicken for you may double or even triple
the per-pound price of the meat. The chickens are so small compared to something like a goat or
hog, that even if a processor only charges $5 per bird that could triple the cost of the meat you end
up with in the freezer. The same would apply to rabbits. These smaller animals may be a lot more
cost-effective to process yourself.
Larger animals obviously need more room for processing than most people would have access to in
their backyard. And that's where a local meat processor will come in handy. Check around the feed
store or local hunting supply stores for local butcher recommendations.
thOrny MatterS
One year we used a larger butcher house to process a deer and we ended up getting back mixed
meat—that is, we got some meat that belonged to a deer someone else had killed. I don't like the idea of
investing in our livestock specifically to feed our family, only to get meat back that I don't know anything
about! So wherever you take your animals to be processed, please find out what procedures they have in
place to ensure that your livestock is the meat that's returned to you. A reputable, USDA-inspected proces-
sor will be happy to explain their system to you.
There's an incredible gap in availability in some areas that do not have a local butcher nearby. In
this case, I would recommend trying to find someone who has experience with processing their
own animals. Check your local Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) facility or farmer's
markets for anyone selling locally raised meat and find out where they got their processing done.
If they are processing the meat themselves you might see if they'd be willing to let you partner up
with them on their processing days.
One interesting trend beginning to develop is the mobile slaughterhouse. A large trailer serves as
the processing plant and the local butcher can literally come to you! There are only a dozen or so
operations at this time, but I have a feeling the trend will catch on as more people seek homegrown
foods for health and financial reasons.
Learning to eat what is available, when it's available, means you're eating the freshest, most nutri-
tious food you can possibly find. Whether fruit, meat, or vegetables, a bountiful feast can be found
right out your back door.
