A local meat processing business starts with a vision: an idea, answer to a question, or solution to a problem. What if you have this vision for your business but can’t nail down what it looks like in reality—or how you’re going to get there?
Here’s a collection of video stories that highlight meat producers, processors, and entrepreneurs who have brought craft, independent meat processing back into their local communities.
BRK MEATS
Meat processing was once a routine part of American life, directly connecting consumers to their food. More people are seeking a closer relationship with their food—and processors like BRK Meats in East Texas are making this possible. See their Friesla PS Compact System in action below or in BRK Meats’ Client Story.
HARRISON HARVESTING
Harrison Harvesting is an entrepreneur’s answer to the pressing need for USDA-inspected meat processing services—and a local retail meat market—in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region. Watch them run their Friesla PS-3 System below or in Harrison Harvesting’s Client Story.
THE MEATING PLACE
The Meating Place began as a butcher shop and custom exempt wild game processor in the 1970s. During COVID, they vertically integrated their Oregon operation to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality, local meat for their customers—and to reduce their dependence on third-party meat producers and processors. See their Friesla Mobile Harvest Unit in use below or in The Meating Place’s Client Story.
THE PRODUCER PARTNERSHIP
Launched in 2020 with an ambitious mission to end hunger in Montana, The Producer Partnership was the first nonprofit, federally-inspected meat processing plant in the U.S. By the summer of 2023, they had donated nearly 250,000 lb of meat to their neighbors statewide. View their Friesla PS-1 System in action below or in The Producer Partnership’s Client Story.
MTXBEEF
Asked by their community to help secure the local food supply, MTXBeef added onsite meat processing to harvest and process their own cattle. This simplified their logistics and guaranteed their product supply and quality for direct-to-consumer and restaurant customers in West Texas. Check out their Friesla PS Compact System below or in MTXBeef’s Client Story.
RESTORING LOCAL MEAT PROCESSING
America’s meat industry endured a storm during the COVID era—and remains vulnerable to another. A consolidated food system dominated by a few big corporations that process the majority of meat we eat doesn’t offer the redundancy and flexibility we need to stay resilient.
We need to bring back smaller-scale, local meat processing that can adapt to and endure uncertainty. As proud citizens of a nation founded on independence, we need to practice what we preach and regain this independence in our meat processing industry. Join us in helping make this happen.