Meat Puzzle

Sooo, I’m finally writing this blog! Procrastination is mostly to blame because writing a blog takes vulnerability to a whole new level. I’ve also ventured down several rabbit holes learning all kinds of new and exciting things after I visited the processing facility back in March. Hence, the title of this blog. Because the more I learn, the more pieces I uncover.

A meat puzzle. The image that’s been floating around in my head for the past few months. It’s not a gross puzzle by any means. I thought there were maybe ten pieces, and it turns out that there are several options and a multitude of aspects to consider when it comes to having cattle processed (and then marketing and selling the beef). I mentioned in our first newsletter that I was going to visit two processing facilities. I chose these two over a year ago, before doing a lot of research, so my requirements were based mainly on proximity to the ranch. Both are within an hour’s drive, offer flexibility on types of cuts, provide vacuum packaging, and had openings at the time when our steers will be ready. Simple…

Because of COVID-19, I virtually attended REGENERATE 2020—a collaborative conference that brought together expertise in ranching, farming, conservation, community, and soil. One of the workshops I completed was a supply chain primer presented by Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance, called Bringing Meat to Market. I left the conference feeling so inspired! And with a much longer list of requirements for choosing a meat processer. One of the aspects emphasized was the relationship one should have with their processer, which was intriguing because I thought we just dropped off our steers and came back a few days later for meat.

Amongst the new resources I had from the conference was a page full of questions for my prospective processors. One of which was, can I tour your plant? And, can we meet in person? I needed to conduct a full-on interview process! So, I started with a call to each of the facilities to ask these two questions. The first call lasted about two minutes and concluded with, “sure, come whenever you’d like, and we can answer some questions.” Ok… The second lasted almost ten minutes, answered some of my questions preemptively, and resulted in an appointment to “build a long-term relationship.” I didn’t even visit the other facility. I settled on and toured the Mineola Packing Company.

I arrived, not knowing what to expect. My appointment was with the granddaughter of the founder of the facility. They opened for business in 1962 and have remained family-owned. Her dad swung by and joined our conversation; her sister and brother also work in the facility. I felt completely at ease. We talked for almost an hour—labels, packaging, day of drop-off and pick-up expectations, cold storage, delivery, how they work closely with the customers, and the importance of a solid producer-processer relationship. And then she gave me a tour of the facility. Now, before you grossed out, I was there during an “office only” time. So, there was no active processing taking place.  They answered all of the questions on my trusty list and many more. They are also USDA certified, which means there is a USDA inspector on-site every day overseeing all of the activities from start to finish.  The USDA inspection also gives us the flexibility to sell individual cuts direct to all of you.

Since my visit, I’ve been busy completing other pieces of the puzzle.  I’ve officially conquered a Cut Sheet, which was more like a Rubix cube.  I’ve completed Western Meat School, an Oregon State extension program that helped with the cut sheet, inventory, pricing, and a marketing plan.  I’m becoming more proficient using Squarespace, and we have an eCommerce site where you’ll be able to purchase your beef online. And, after a long wait, our beef has been delivered!!  That’s right.  We have two new freezers full of meat—over 900 lbs of it.  Over the next week or two, we’ll be adding all of the cuts into inventory and finalizing the pricing.  As many of the puzzle pieces come together inherent to any journey, many more are revealed—so, my learning continues.

Stay tuned for more details in the upcoming newsletter! Thank you always for your support and patience.

Until then, much love and peace—K