Friesla Blog: Education

Interested in starting a meat processing business? Explore our blog for industry info and stories of great Americans who are getting it done.

Butcher pulling the hide from a beef carcass in a Friesla Harvest Module.

Waste Management Options for Small Meat Processing Facilities

Managing waste is a critical part of any small meat processing operation, whether you’re operating a Friesla Mobile or Modular System, a custom exempt truck,…

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Butcher places finished cuts of meat onto tray for display in meat case.

Investing in Local Meat Processing: Impact, Opportunity & Income Diversification

Local meat processing has gained attention in recent years partially because of backlogs during COVID, but also because it is recognized as a cornerstone of…

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Black beef cattle eating feed out of a feeding trough.

Grass-Finished vs. Grain-Finished: What’s the Beef?

Beef is sold as either grass-finished or grain-finished. But what’s the difference? In general, cattle are born on farms and ranches across the country and…

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A butcher breaks down a beef carcass in the Cut and Package Module of a Friesla Meat Processing System.

Meat Processing Plant Sizes & Where Friesla Fits

The meat processing industry has consolidated dramatically over the past several decades, moving from local and regional systems to a highly-centralized model. At Friesla, we…

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Butcher using bandsaw to portion beef into steaks.

Meat Processing Explained: From Harvest to Packaging

The livestock harvest-to-package process can seem a little mysterious: an animal goes in, boxes of meat come out—but what does this look like inside a…

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Butcher spraying down a hanging sheep carcass after skinning in a Mobile Harvest Unit.

Handling Wastewater in a Small Meat Processing Plant

Meat harvest, fabrication, packaging, and sanitization generates waste byproducts: from bones to blood, heads, hides, inedibles, offal, and wastewater. In another blog post, we covered…

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Creating Value-Added Products from Waste in Small Meat Processing Facilities

If you’ve considered starting a local meat processing business, you’ve likely thought, “But what will I do with all of the waste?” Rendering—the process of…

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A butcher cuts filet mignon steaks from the tenderloin of a beef carcass.

Where Does Beef Come From? Part 2: Processing & Distribution

In an earlier post we went through how beef is raised and finished, but what happens after that? We’re glad you asked, because while we’re…

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Beef cows grazing in a grassy field in the Montana countryside.

Where Does Beef Come From? Part 1: Breeding, Raising & Finishing

In the United States, beef production starts on farms and ranches across the country. How does that beef get from pasture to plate—or to a…

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Butchers setting up the animal restrainer for humane beef harvesting.

Why Meat Processors Need A Robust Humane Handling Program

Animal welfare is a hot topic in today’s agricultural economy—and for good reason. Humane animal handling is a moral venture and carries high cultural expectations:…

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