iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Half a beef

Started by Jeff, January 23, 2020, 06:09:38 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Ianab

Same as how it works in NZ. There are "homekill" butchers that are all qualified / licenced etc, but they can only process meat for individual use, not for sale as it wont have been officially inspected. 

But you can legally buy a cow from a farmer, pay him the money, and it's now your cow standing in the paddock. Then you hire the home kill butcher to go and collect the animal and process it. You pay the butcher for his work only, and collect your cow from him, cut and packed into nice neat freezer bags. You didn't buy meat off the farmer, or the butcher, so no laws are broken (unless you on-sell the meat) 

Now the farmer may have  coordinated everything, but remember he only ever sold you a live cow. 
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Sedgehammer

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 02, 2020, 10:59:04 PM
  I have not checked and could easily be wrong but I thought in cases like this you were buying the animal or half the animal from the owner and the processing plant was just processing your animal for you and USDA, et. al. regulations for sale did not apply. You are just paying the slaughter and processing fees not buying the meat.
You are correct. Senator Massey from Kentucky is sponsoring a bill called 'PRIME' that allows meat sold in state to be slaughtered locally for commercial sale same as it's for individuals. I think it's a great idea. This way the national food change isn't as much at risk like it is now. 
Necessity is the engine of drive

Skip

I used to buy a half every year , raised in OH killed and butchered in PA ( live in WV ) go half on kill fee and pay for double wrap and butchering only difference between store bought is wrap is stamped  Not For Resale . IMO the ONLY way to go . I know every body involved  . :)

Don P

I like the sound of what Sedgehammer is talking about. There is some herd share going through the farmers market but for cuts the animals have to make an expensive journey to a USDA facility. The current situation is really pointing out the downsides of that messed up system when it could all stay local, small and well dispersed. A redundant, hardened system rather than a fragile, non redundant concentrated food distribution system.

I grew up on Grandaddy's grass fed lightly grain finished, half a beef at a time. Since then about everything. I've about come to the conclusion that good grass fed isn't hay finished. There is a time of harvest, when they are finished on the best pasture grass fed is good. If they are harvested while on winter hay its about like eating a refugee on rations.

WV Sawmiller

@Skip ,

Good catch and point - I think our local butcher used to stamp "Not for resale" on every package when he butchered for us.

 I know with deer and it may be the case with other home grown meat not inspected or for sale the butcher generally cut the wild game at the end of the shift after he finished the commercial orders because he had to completely break down and sanitize the saws and equipment before he could saw commercial meat again. In some cases he'd have to schedule you to bring the animal to him at a certain time as he could not store un-inspected meat in his cooler with meat to be cut for sale. I don't know if just having it quartered in an ice chest qualified in some cases. In others he might could get by with it.

I have a cousin in Mobile AL who is a butcher at WalMart and I told her when she retires I am going to be her sponsor and get her gigs where she would go to some hunting club and train people to process their own deer or meat. I figured each would pay a $50 fee to learn to properly break down and process the meat and the person providing the subject animal got the benefit of getting his animal processed. She tactfully (Well almost) advised me she didn't need no dang sponsor. (I was just trying to help and thought a 50% coordination fee for my effort was fair ::) ::)  :D).
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

doc henderson

Kansas of course is big in agriculture.  My buddy Dallas, had a group of 10 hunting friends come to his house, and a local ag extension agent came and did the same training for how to safely store and process wild game.  the Yoder meats folk process hundreds of deer each season.  not sure how they coordinate it all.  you can take them 25 pounds of just deer meat and they will make summer sausage , or the whole deer and they will skin it ect.  you can also pay the processing, and donate the meat.  It must have the tag and your meat is your meat.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

WV Sawmiller

   We have a local butcher shop that opens every year with the start of bow season and ends the last of deer season. They have coolers and will skin and process a deer any way you want it. I think they are too pricey and don't use them. I think they charge about $10 to skin a deer. They keep and sell all the hides to local fur/hide buyer. Then it is $60-$70 to process the meat. Some other local butcher process deer as well and they are a little cheaper. 

   I do my own - hams become cube steak, neck (bone in) a roast, backstrap and brisket becomes corned, shoulders  either roast or sausage. Trimmings become sausage or get canned. That's what happens when you have time on your hand.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Don P

Here is the summary of the PRIME act from Congress.Gov

QuoteIntroduced in House (05/21/2019)
Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act or the PRIME Act
This bill expands the exemption of custom slaughtering of animals from federal inspection requirements.
Under current law, the exemption applies if the meat is slaughtered for personal, household, guest, and employee uses. The bill expands the exemption to include meat that is

  • slaughtered and prepared at a custom slaughter facility in accordance with the laws of the state where the facility is located; and
  • prepared exclusively for distribution to household consumers in the state or restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, grocery stores, or other establishments in the state that either prepare meals served directly to consumers or offer meat and food products for sale directly to consumers in the state.
The bill does not preempt any state law concerning (1) the slaughter of animals or the preparation of carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products at a custom slaughter facility; or (2) the sale of meat or meat food products
Doing a little background checking, prior to the current federal oversight program, the Wholesome Meat Act, which began in 1967 there were 10,000 slaughterhouses in this country, there are now fewer than 4,000. I haven't heard of problems out of the state certified facilities vs the USDA ones. I know our state inspectors that we've dealt with are not lax at all. The writer of that article used the same word I did to characterize the current system, fragile. I suspect our lawmakers are keenly aware of that right now. In another older article I read it had a 2% chance of passing prior to the pandemic. I'd say this would be a good time to light up your representatives. It is HR 2859 and S 1620 and has bipartisan sponsors.

If we learn nothing else from this I hope that we learn that keeping things home and if possible local is a good thing. Michelle is having to call around tomorrow looking for a bigger building for the farmers market to work out of for gathering, boxing and curbside pickups. In contact with other markets they are all seeing the same thing.

Mooseherder

Quote from: Sedgehammer on May 03, 2020, 08:09:52 AM
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 02, 2020, 10:59:04 PM
  I have not checked and could easily be wrong but I thought in cases like this you were buying the animal or half the animal from the owner and the processing plant was just processing your animal for you and USDA, et. al. regulations for sale did not apply. You are just paying the slaughter and processing fees not buying the meat.
You are correct. Senator Massey from Kentucky is sponsoring a bill called 'PRIME' that allows meat sold in state to be slaughtered locally for commercial sale same as it's for individuals. I think it's a great idea. This way the national food change isn't as much at risk like it is now.
House representative Massey from Kentucky happens to be a Forestry Forum Member.
Thomas in Kentucky hasn't been active here lately but is probably a very busy man.

Nebraska

Our local meat processor is booked full into November, that puts it up against deer season around here. They usually shut down for two weeks and just process deer. Next town over has a packing house that does the federally inspected kill for local folks that sell meat by the pound.  Most of my clients that sell off the farm, sell quarters and halves live before processing. Hy Vee grocery stores put a limit on meat purchases today, being in Nebraska that is an odd scary thing, but meat packers are struggling to staff their kill floors and get product out. This market situation is hurting farmers trying  to market feeder calves to sell to feedlots, I hope this turns soon and Agricultural  at least gets to break even status. That would be an Improvement.

Corley5

We bought two finished butcher ready hogs for $150 each.  They're said to average close to 300 lbs.  Producers downstate are shipping them north to private buyers.  Ours will be delivered to a local processor next week.  It'll be the second load of twenty he's taken in.  
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

doc henderson

a doc married to a rancher new a hog farmer that could not move his critters.  i called today and he found a buyer.  he was selling 100 bucks a hog, and normal price was 270 to 300.  he moved his, but my buddy now found a guy willing to sell at 40 cents a pound, so 120 bucks for a 300 pound hog.  we may get one and skin and gut it and put it on the smoker, then vacuum seal bag it at a pound each bag.  hard to butcher this time a year.  cannot really let it hang at these temps.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

tule peak timber

Just bought this guy today for 2300$ and I still need to pay for processing. With the price of meat going up I hope I'm doing the right thing. Last week we filled a big freezer with chicken on sale and this week there are limits in the stores-if you can find beef or chicken.

 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

doc henderson

he looks a little angry... or is it Angus at you Tule. ;) :) Low prices on livestock direct here but the local little processors are booked until November.  you did good.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

tule peak timber

Why would he look angry Doc ? I have no beef with him...........
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

doc henderson

Tule  you make me laugh till... the cows come home!!! :D :D :D.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

tule peak timber

Have a happy mothers day !

 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

mike_belben

Never saw this topic before.  Figured id deposit some info.  You guys had been discussing custom slaughter verse usda slaughter.  USDA slaughtering allows you to sell meat to brokers, strangers, supermarkets for resale to the general public etc.   With "custom slaughtering" you are not allowed to.  You can sell a live cow to a customer then deliver it vacuum wrapped as steaks but they must say not for sale on the label.  




We are in bigtime angus country.. Thousands and thousands of head here.  Slaughter dates are backed up 2 years minimum and i think yer on yer own for getting a deer butchered.  Ive heard of guys just shooting older cows to stop feeding.  



The auction price is way low on the hoof  and the animal will be too old by the time a slaughter date comes.  I could be wrong on this but i think USDA slaughter has a 24month old cutoff for madcow prevention.. Only heard it once.. Maybe not true.




Anyways with that situation i briefly considered setting up a small custom slaughter and read a bunch of very boring .gov docs on all of it.   Too much upfront capital for me.  I like sorting muscles but i would be giving up on the industrial side of my life which i just cant do.    The rules are quite loose on becoming a custom slaughterer to be honest.  But it is a direct producer to customer only operation, no middlemen or wholesale of any sort. 
Praise The Lord

Southside

Mike,. 
There is no age limit on harvesting a beef, but if over 30 months of age basically all the spinal bone must be removed so cuts such as T bone and Porterhouse steak are not possible per USDA inspected. You can have filets instead. I don't know on custom if any of that applies. 

Dropped off two 100% grass fed and finished steers Tuesday, will have them back early after the New Year. Probably already sold out aside from what we hold back for us. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Mooseherder

Publix has Rib Roasts on sale for 5.99 lb. In their Christmas ad. 
I'll be turning them into steaks.  :)
 

mike_belben

Thanks for clearing that up jim, makes sense.  



What are yalls thoughts on finishing, marbling and "western beef" ??  


I know almost nothing about any of these things btw. 
Praise The Lord

Southside

The key to tenderness and taste is for them to be gaining weight each and every day they are walking around.  That's what makes grass fed / finished so hard and why some folks put out a horrible product.  Summer heat slump on fescue pasture and you don't get gain, winter feed is only dry fescue hay - again, no gain.  You are not going to get the marbling from 100% grass fed that you see in a properly grain finished steer, it just doesn't happen.  I can usually grade Choice, but not Prime, if I did everything right and the genetics were there, etc.  Speaking of genetics all of mine are crosses, either Jersey x Holstein, Jersey x Angus, etc - F1's give you an advantage for production.  But realize I run my beefs with the milk cows - so they are getting the very best grass diet I can give them.  We overseed warm season grasses and legumes, annual rye, wheat, clover for winter and spring grazing, feed baleage, dry hay, and peanut hay, daily pasture rotation, summer irrigation.  Lots of management.  Those two that just went ate better than my dry cows that will calve in the spring for the past 2 months.  

I don't worry about marbling at all, my goal is the customers eating experience.  Tender, lots of taste, and no grain and or chemicals at all gets me a premium and honestly I prefer the meat over what I can get at the store.  Now a great grain fed burger or steak at a restaurant and I am all in - but that's more what the chef did to prep the meal rather than what the beef actually brings to the table.   
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Walnut Beast

Southside seems like you have really done your homework and it's paying off 👍

Southside

I should have done more homework growing up and I wouldn't have to be messing with cows and sawmills these days.  :D
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Ianab

Quote from: Southside on December 17, 2020, 09:03:20 PMThe key to tenderness and taste is for them to be gaining weight each and every day they are walking around.  That's what makes grass fed / finished so hard


It's possible (and common) here in NZ due to the climate. Of course you have to manage pasture closely to get through the Summer and Winter with enough grass to keep them putting no weight. Hay or silage is a supplement to help them get through winter. Of course they put on more weight in the better seasons, but they aren't getting stressed during the others. 

I agree on the F1 Cross. Most of the dairy farmers put their non-breeding cows to an Angus or Hereford bull, so they can sell the calves at ~3 days old to beef rearers. The Fresian X calves are the most popular/ valuable  as they simply grow bigger and faster, and assuming similar condition are worth about the same per kg at the meat works. The Jersey X are smaller, but still good eating. An ~18 month X-bred heifer is about as tender as beef gets. digin1  The fat might have a more yellow tint to it, but it doesn't affect the taste. 
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Thank You Sponsors!