Comments on: OPINION: Farmers Need More Meat Processing Options

By: Megha Pradhan

Megha Pradhan — Sat, 21 Nov 2020 06:20:17 +0000

your article is too good….keep it up

By: Walter Jeffries

Walter Jeffries — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 01:28:20 +0000

In reply to Jon Yeager. I built my own USDA meat processing facility on my farm for use just by my farm without any government or bank funding. It is possible. Stop listening to people who say things are impossible.

By: Jon Yeager

Jon Yeager — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 07:56:39 +0000

Without Public Fiance of the election system, the probability of decentralization of meatpacking, is pretty close to the chance of speed of light travel. There happens to be some massive Corporate Meatpacking Political Action Committees who can outspend the General Public ten thousand to one, effortlessly. Corporate PACS laugh at the General Public and double over, holding their stomachs in pain, when laughing at farmers.
It’s just idiocy, perhaps ‘insanity’ ( doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different outcome) for farmers and the National Farmers Union, to continue this path to nowhere. Everyone is well aware there is no competition for arg products to process. Everyone already knows this, everytime they load fall cattle in the truck and look at the eventual check.
We’re bringing a new option for the General Public, by what’s expected to be the most visited website in the US, very shortly. And we are going to put a stop to the Corporate PACS, right then and there. Shortly after the General Public makes its demands, you are going to see business law enforcement the nation hasn’t seen since the trust busters.
And then you’re going to see thousands of new processing plants and a return to American, General Public supported, economic activity.

By: Celeste

Celeste — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 15:24:39 +0000

In reply to Gertrude. I think state level may be a better place to effect change.

By: Celeste

Celeste — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 15:23:44 +0000

The small Indiana family farm I buy meat from recently completed its own processing facility. This was a mid-term goal that became an immediate necessity when appointments were no longer available at the local processor due to the effects of the COVID crisis on the whole industry.

My understanding is that it took a lot of work to build out, but Indiana approved the facility without too much bureaucratic trouble.

Happy customer here.

By: Walter Jeffries

Walter Jeffries — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 17:04:29 +0000

You can build your own state/USDA on-farm meat processing facility, aka a butcher shop. It is doable. I did it. See here where I shared a lot of details in many articles and photos:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
There are some others out there like Greg Gunthorp. Mine is just me, no employees. Do it on what ever scale you need. Take control of your processing.

By: Ken Mapp

Ken Mapp — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 14:34:42 +0000

That was an excellent article on regionalizing meat processing plants. We are in the process of acquiring one or several. Ken Mapp

By: John Treehold

John Treehold — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:46:23 +0000

In reply to Gertrude. There are xenophobic and racist undertones to the term, “Taking our country back.” Who are you taking the country back from? I think you are just trying to say “let’s get organized to lobby the government on this issue,” in which case, maybe consider joining the National Farmers Union to get involved.

By: Stan Ford

Stan Ford — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:04:52 +0000

Doesn’t help when you have State Ag depts like Wisconsin working against you

By: burble

burble — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 14:40:44 +0000

To start with, the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Packers and Stockyards division of the US Department of Agriculture must restore competition to agricultural markets by enforcing antitrust regulation and restructuring large firms when necessary.
To rely on the government to fix a problem it has itself created is a pipe dream at best. Better to work to decentralize processing by doing the work yourselves (and with others of like mind) and working with local consumers to distribute rather than relying on other companies that are all too easy targets for shut down at the whim of regulatory agencies who place agenda before people.
Find ways to decentralize production and distribution, or start learning another vocation. There are no other choices.