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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] dividing up pork

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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.
Kathryn Kerby

Frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA

 


From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of david purpura
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2013 5:48 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] dividing up pork

 

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.
 
Doesn't seem off-topic to me... a little diversity gets people excited about the farm and gets them to buy more kale  :)

dave

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Apologies, but I don?t belong to any pork lists.  We have 4 pigs gong to
slaughter.  One is to be divided among 8 buyers.  Some want some bone-in,
others not.  Can anyone point me toward information on how to fairly
allocate cuts?  I can divided the hanging weight by 8 for the cost of the
pig.  And can allocate the smoking and sausage processing by who gets what.
But any thoughts on the equivalents between part of the leg made into a ham
and hamstead, and part ground for sausage?  One person wants roasts bone-in,
others no roasts.  I wonder if 1 ? lb roast ? 1 lb sausage? 2 lbs roast ? 1
lb sausage?  Everyone splits chops and bacon evenly.  It is the other cuts
that are puzzling me. Sure is simpler with 2 people sharing, but we ran out
of half and whole pig buyers and do have folks who want smaller amounts.
Thank you for letting me ask off-topic.





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