|
DEDICATED TO FREE THOUGHT AND FREE SPEECH IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOW ABOUT A PORTABLE MEAT PROCESSING PLANT FOR LAKE AND MENDO? |
Submitted By Lee Rossavick
Here's the problem: Many small-scale Lake and Mendocino County livestock producers aren't able to sell locally raised meat to local consumers for a stew of reasons including: the regulatory requirements involved in USDA certification, lack of a local meat processing facility and the absence of a system for marketing directly to local restaurants, farmers' markets, in individuals and stores.
That's unfortunate because' there's some tremendous products available right here at home - animals that are locally grown and raised, which are either grain or grass-fed, natural or organically raised. And there's nothing- like buying locally from a rancher you know. Have concerns or questions about the meat? -just ask the rancher or farmer who raised the animal.
So here's an idea: A mobile meat processing plant that travels from local ranch, to local ranch that provides under one roof a USDA inspector, an onsite slaughterhouse, refrigeration and then transportation back into town, bringing -the products directly to the cooler for hanging.
This could be an imaginative solution for Mendocino and Lake County livestock producers who are faced with the difficulty of finding available USDA processing. Without it, local ranchers have had to sell whole animals on the hoof - meaning local consumers are forced to buy large amounts of meat all at one time. A USDA mobile processing unit would provide an outlet for producers to sell individual cuts or even direct wholesale marketing.
It's WORKING IN WASHINGTON STATE Bruce Dunlop, a livestock producer in Washington state and several other growers have successfully designed and implemented such a portable USDA meat processing unit -- the first of its kind in the nation. They also recently helped in the setup and design of a new unit for Monterey County, here in California.
Before the unit was developed, ranchers had to haul livestock 200 miles to the closest plant, Dunlop said. Meat processing has become a consolidated business making it very hard for small producers to market their products locally.
The mobile unit field slaughters on the farm, providing marketing flexibility not available before. Groundwork for the Washington project
The original unit designed in Washington is a goose neck trailer: 33 feet long, by 13 feet tall, pulled by an F450 diesel flatbed. Truck and trailer combined is 49 feet long and weighs 32,000 lbs. The unit contains three sections: processing, refrigeration, and HVAC/storage.
A potential concern for Lake and Mendocino Counties may be difficult access to some ranches -i.e. narrow steep roads. A possible solution may be the use of two smaller rigs: one unit for processing and the other for refrigeration. Dunlop agreed it could be done with two smaller units.
According to Dunlop, the minimum number of steers needed to break even is four per stop -- but optimum would be five to six steers, which would utilize a full work day. The cooler capacity can handle 10 steers, or the equivalent amounts of animals. The unit in Washington is a one-man operation, which allows one hour per day for setup, and one hour for cleanup. Taxpayers pay the inspector's fees. (The new Monterey unit is expected to cost about $120,000 for the trailer, not including the truck.)
"A mobile meat processing plant would travel from ranch, to ranch, providing everything under one roof: a USDA inspector, an onsite slaughterhouse, refrigeration and then transportation back into town."
Mike Christofferson, who raises Romagnola, an Italian breed of cattle well suited for Potter Valley, said that selling direct to the consumer means a larger increase in profit for the grower. In the past, when he sold at the auction, Christofferson said he never knew what price he was going to get for his animals. In the future, he hopes to use the auction as a secondary outlet. Even though selling animals through the auction is less work, he stated he could raise an animal for a year and loose $100 per animal going through the auction.
With the media attention on Mad Cow, Christofferson emphasized that local producers in Potter Valley do not feed their livestock animal byproducts. Ultimately, buying locally is your best insurance on finding out how your meat is raised, simply because you can ask.
The upshot is the Washington USDA mobile unit has provided a direct outlet to upscale restaurants, specialty meat shop and farmers markets.
The success of the Atkins diet has increased consumers' love for meat. And consumers fears about Mad Cow has promoted a growing interest in quality meat -- where meat comes from and who produces it. Local growers selling directly to consumers could be the answer.
Lee Rossavick is a Potter Valley Farmer, Farm Bureau Member, past president of the Mendocino County Farmers Market association and member of the organic Network, which is spearheading the idea of a local mobile Meat processing plant. For more info contact Lee at 743-1342 or Us .
# 01189 hits since July 19 2006