Tag: harvest

Interested in starting a meat processing business? Whether you’re early in your research, planning to open a new plant, or expanding an existing operation, explore our blog for practical information, real-world guidance, and stories of hardworking Americans who are getting after it.

At Friesla, we’re helping farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs build independent meat processing businesses in communities across the country. Explore our resources on starting a meat processing business, the basics of meat processing, USDA inspection requirements, available grants and funding opportunities, and other practical information on building and running a successful operation.


A team of butchers removing the hide from a beef carcass on a skinning cradle in a Friesla Harvest Module.

Client Story: BRK Meats

Raising, slaughtering, and processing animals for meat was once a routine part of American life, directly connecting communities to their food. Over time, as the…

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Butchers fabricate and breakdown beef carcasses on polytop cutting tables in their Friesla Breaking Module.

Client Story: Harrison Harvesting

“COVID shined a light on how we had neglected our food chain, and it also shined a light on where our whole [meat processing] system…

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

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

In Part 1, we went through how beef is raised and finished, but what happens after that? We’re glad you asked, because while we’re deeply…

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Butchers transfer quartered beef carcasses from a Friesla Mobile Harvest Unit into The Meating Place Butcher Shop.

Client Story: The Meating Place

The Meating Place is helping bring back the tradition of independent butcher shops that were once staples in communities across America. Consumers had access to…

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