by Frieda Synnestvedt
At the time I started raising sheep I was a vegetarian. I soon realized that when you start to breed sheep there will be excess males who will be meat for someone. So I went back to eating meat and kept my own butchered lambs. Eventually I started selling at the smaller farmers markets and from the farm. In recent years I have had between six and twelve breeding ewes with 9 to 18 lambs.
In the last few years I have found it challenging to schedule butcher dates. For me on-site slaughter is essential since it is less stressful for both the animals and the farmer than trucking them live to the butcher site. Of the butchers who offer on-site slaughter, there are only one or two who provide state-inspected slaughters. I can’t sell individual cuts of meat at the farm or at farmers market if it isn’t inspected. Also without that inspection, I can only sell half or whole lambs to the customer and then the customer must deal directly with the butcher for processing instructions and fees. Most of my customers don’t want to do that.
Butchers who offer inspected on site slaughter are scheduling over one year out which means before my sheep are even bred and sometimes even before I have a ram on site I need to have the butcher date scheduled. Since I’m am raising grass-fed, grass finished lamb I want to maximize the time they are on pasture and minimize the amount hay I feed. Also, the nutritional values change after they are no longer eating fresh grass. For me the ideal time to schedule a butcher date is November or early December. Most meat processors keep November open for deer processing.
Besides processing animals for farmers, butcher shops also bring in meat from elsewhere to butcher and sell in their own stores. This meat is not necessarily local meat but it can provide a large part of their income. In this situation the small farmer may have a lower priority from an income to hassle ratio. This lower priority could be why mistakes are common in their processing orders. I’m fortunate that I haven’t had cutting errors (where cuts of meat don’t match what was ordered) as many of my friends have. The errors on my orders have been mistakes on labeling which is still problematic.
So when I heard of a butcher co-operative forming to serve local small farmers I was all in. I wouldn’t be competing with hunters for scheduling times. I wouldn’t be vying for processing time with the butcher shop’s own production. Meatsmith Co-op is a producer- and worker-owned co-op serving farmers, butchers, and consumers in a 6 county area: Rock, Lafayette, and Green, Iowa, Dane, and Grant.
The Meatsmith Co-op will work with members to offer more tailored products, such as member-developed sausage recipes. When you raise grass-fed, grass finished meat it doesn’t make sense to be selling it in products made with preservatives, corn syrup, and MSG. The cooperative will offer more options in ingredients and specialty products. This isn’t an option most processors offer. It’s a premium product we can then offer to local markets. This meat is locally raised and will be processed locally for local consumers who want to know their farmers. Meats that come from an inspected slaughter can be sold from the farm and at farmers markets, as well at local grocery stores and restaurants.
The on-site slaughter is one of the key offerings of the co-op with an eye on supporting the humane treatment of animals as well as sustainable farming practices. Initially the slaughters may not be inspected but the plan is to add an inspection that could allow for sales across state lines.
The butcher I have used for years has done a good job for me. My main issues are with scheduling, the labeling errors and the distance to their facility. The fact is we need more butchers! I am so looking forward to the start of operations of Meatsmith Cooperative.
Frieda Synnestvedt owns Dancing Sun Gardens, LLC, an 80 acre farm in Lafayette County. She has a small, mixed breed flock of sheep which she raises for wool, sheep skins and meat, with long-term plans of integration with growing produce. Frieda joined SCWFU to network with fellow farmers and support policy changes that will serve small family farms.