When you run a local farm, you might not want to send meat to a packing or processing plant. You are paying for transport, processing, and losing money. Your farm can start processing meat on its own, and you might do the work on your own if you are the only person working on the farm. Use the tips below to process your own meat without losing money.
Where Will You Sell Your Meat?
Processing meat from your farm is not an efficient use of your time if you have nowhere to sell it. You may own a farm stand where you sell your products. You can sell anything grown on the farm, and you can sell cuts of meat. You might sell to a local butcher who pays a consignment price for your meat. You could sell to a local market, or you might have a deal with supermarkets in the area.
Every large supermarket chain wants to carry local products in their stores. You may see your meat in just a few stores that are close to your location.
Create A Sanitary Space For Breaking Down Your Meat
In all likelihood, you are an experienced farmer who knows how to break down an animal when it is slaughtered for meat. Hunters do this when they find a game in the forest, and the same is true of your farm. You should break down the animal in a sanitary space on your property. You could safely dispose of all the parts of the animal you do not use, and you can move the meat to a cleaning station.
Clean The Meat Properly
You must clean the meat thoroughly before cutting or creating different portions. You must remove as much of the silverskin as you can. You should try to cut the fat off the sides of the meat, and you can continue cleaning until you are ready to cut steaks. You can cut every steak imaginable out of the meat that you have, and you should lay every steak aside on a clean piece of parchment paper. You can organize the steaks on a large cutting table, and you should continue cutting until you have broken down everything.
Wrap The Meat
You should clean the meat one more time before you start wrapping. You can wrap the meat in heavy plastic, and you should clearly label every piece of meat you have cut. You should date the meat, and you can transport the meat to the shop that will sell your wares.
If you are storing the meat in your home, you should use more than one layer of plastic wrap. Wrap the meat in aluminum foil, and store the meat in the freezer. You can write the date on the foil, and you can freeze the meat for a long time before you use it.
Can You Sell Meat To Local Restaurants?
You can sell to local restaurants, but you should ask them which cuts they prefer. You can cut the steaks that your local partners want, and you can wrap those steaks for delivery. If you create more partnerships, you will make more money. Plus, some restaurants will only use your meat because you are local.
You may consider opening your own cafe on the premises, but you must get the proper permits before opening your restaurant.
What If You Need Help?
If you are cutting so much meat that you need help with processing, you can hire a horticulture recruitment company to help. The company will send temps who can help you with cutting and processing the meat. You can get the work done much quicker, and you could expand your operation more as you hire more people. You do not need to hire full-time staffers because you get them from a reliable temp agency.
Conclusion
When you want to process the meat from your farm, you do not need to spend money on a processing facility or hiring a transport company. You can do everything on your property, and you can make more money because you are in control of your product. Plus, you can hire temps for preparation throughout the year without spending too much money on processing.
