The processing conundrum….
….the largest single cost in producing local meat, whether beef or pork, is the processing. Butchering your meat is just about half the total cost.
We reported awhile back that the bill for processing a steer into beef is very close to $500. That compares to the $50 the Giants pay at the huge, factory meat-packing plants.
It’s not that the local butchers are getting rich. It’s a matter of scale. They have to hire full-time crew to handle a sporadic supply as small farmers finish their animals. And butchering itself is something of a “lost art”.
We’re very fortunate here to have a choice of many butchers (some dare call them “abattoirs”). There are five USDA facilities within 30 miles. Most places have none and farmers may have to travel hundreds of miles for processing. Here’s a formal report on the problem.