market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Market Farming
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- From: "Kathryn Kerby" <kakerby AT aol.com>
- To: "'david purpura'" <davepurpura AT yahoo.com>, "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [Market-farming] dividing up pork
- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2013 11:42:42 -0800
This is definitely a state-by-state
issue. What Dave describes below is what we’d love to do, but it’s
illegal here. We have two options in WA state – what’s called “custom
slaughter” at a WSDA approved facility, or “USDA licensed slaughter”
at a USDA inspected facility. Trouble is, there are no USDA licensed
facilities within a two hour drive of our location. We have one USDA mobile
unit south of us, and another USDA mobile unit north of us, but neither of them
come this far. So we’re very nicely out of reach of both. If we sold
USDA, we could sell by the cut. If we sell WSDA, we can’t. Since we don’t
have a USDA facility within reach, we go WSDA custom slaughter. We have to sell the living animal, in
advance, to the buyer. That buyer must also be the end consumer – they can’t
re-sell the meat. We can sell in as many shares as we like, but as indicated
in the original post it gets dicey really fast once you go beyond the ½ division.
We sell with the previously agreed-upon arrangement on who the butcher will be;
we have two WSDA places here in town, and several more within an hour’s
drive. Once the buyer has purchased their fraction, they give cut/wrap
instructions to whichever butcher is doing that particular animal. They pay us
for the living animal, which is usually done on a hanging weight basis, then
they pay the butcher for the slaughter, the cut/wrap, and any additional services
(smoking, sausage casings, etc). Then they go pick it up. The only time we’ve been able to do
smaller divisions than ½ hogs, was when: a) several buyers pooled their money and
split the whole or ½ amongst themselves, leaving us out of it, or b) we culled two old animals, which went
entirely to sausage. We were able to sell a lot of shares of that sausage, because
there was no concern about how big the ham would be compared to the shoulder
compared to the loin, etc. The best source of info for what’s
allowed in your state, is to talk to other hog producers in your own state.
They’ll have likely worked out a lot of the in’s and out’s
for what can and cannot be done. Or check with your extension office and see
if they have someone who can advise on the legal issues. We brushed up pretty
hard on some legal issues with that sausage slaughter (learned after the fact
unfortunately) and the penalties for stepping over those lines can be rather
steep. Better learn the options now, rather than get burned later. Frogchorusfarm.com From:
market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of david purpura Hi
Beth. In my opinion, you're making way too much work for yourself.
I allow people to choose their cuts if they get a half or a whole. Otherwise
you make the slaughterhouse crazy with all those instructions, and make
yourself crazy trying to keep things straight. What you're doing is
selling cuts, in a bundle. You should just sell them cuts, and price
accordingly. I don't bother with hanging weights either. I take
them to slaughter, pay the bill, and charge people what I need to charge for
what they're actually taking away in pounds ($7.50 / lb this year, fresh
unsmoked). No one understands hanging weights. If someone wants a
couple ham steaks, some chops and bacon then I charge them retail for those
cuts. Apologies, but I don?t belong to any pork lists. We have 4
pigs gong to |
-
Re: [Market-farming] dividing up pork,
david purpura, 12/18/2013
- Re: [Market-farming] dividing up pork, Kathryn Kerby, 12/18/2013
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: [Market-farming] dividing up pork, david purpura, 12/19/2013
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