The Process of Selling Freezer Meat
We love selling freezer beef!
We've been selling quarters of beef and halves of pigs for multiple years now and it is fairly simple. We line up the people who want to buy the animal and then notify them when that animal goes in and they call in their cutting instructions and pick-up their meat when it is ready. This process of selling freezer meat is fairly simple and does not require any special licensing because each of our customers is technically buying the live animal and we are just delivering it to the processor for them. This year we are hoping to start selling some individual cuts to expand our customer base but it does require us to jump through a few more hoops.
Making the Appointment
We only get a couple tablespoons of grease out of a pound of our hamburger! We rarely drain it for recipes.
We often need to plan ahead at least 3-4 months in order to get an appointment for an animal and this is no different. In order to sell specific cuts of meat, we have to have the animal processed at an inspected plant. This means that there is a USDA inspector on site when the animal is taken from a whole, down to retail cuts. There are processors in Michigan who are inspected but none are close to us so we have decided to use Graham's Organics in Rosebush, Michigan.
Licensing
Not only do we have to have an inspected processor, we have to have special licensing to sell cuts of meat. We have to have a license that allows us to be a food warehouse because we will be storing the meat ourselves until it is bought. This means we have to have a freezer inspected to make sure it keeps the meat at the right temperature and in a sanitary environment.
We still have a quarter available! Buying meat by the quarter is getting the best bang for your buck.
You're Worth It!
We really enjoy selling our meat directly to the consumer. It allows us to make personal connections and really get to know the people who are interested in buying our product. The few extra steps required of us are nothing compared to the ability to serve more people and help spread our knowledge of what modern agriculture actually looks like! Stay tuned for the option to buy our hamburger by the pound at the end of March with reservations available now!