Mobile slaughter and processing units are now in operation around the country. Here is some basic info about them. (Note that as more and more poultry MPUs come on line around the country, not all will be listed here.)
If you operate a unit and would like to see it listed here, please contact us.
Poultry Units
Sierra Foothills (CA)
- Auburn, California
- Species: poultry
- Inspection: Each producer operates under Producer/Grower 20,000 or 1,000 Bird Exemption
- Capacity per day: 100-125 birds
- Owned by the High Sierra Resource Conservation and Development Council
- Operations and Maintenance Plan
- Details and photos in NMPAN webinar: Mobile Poultry Processing Units in California, Montana, and Vermont
- Contact: Roger Ingram, University of California Cooperative Extension, (530) 889-7385, rsingram@ucdavis.edu
Kentucky Mobile Poultry Processing Unit
- Frankfort, Kentucky
- Species: poultry (e.g. chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail), aquaculture (e.g. caviar, paddle fish, prawns), and rabbits
- Inspection: State-approved, but uninspected
- Capacity per day: 200-250 birds (depending on # of workers)
- Owned by the Kentucky State University Research Farm
- Detailed case study, with photos: Kentucky Mobile Poultry Processing Unit
- Contact: Angela Caporelli, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, (502) 330-5808, angela.caporelli@ky.gov
Foothills Family Farms (NC)
- Lake Lure, North Carolina
- Species: poultry and rabbit
- Inspection: Each producer operates under the Producer/Grower 1,000 Bird Exemption
- Capacity per day: 200-300 birds depending on skill of labor
- Which Came First Farm, Galen and Carmen
- Contact: whichcamefirstfarm@gmail.com
Community Agricultural Development Center (WA)
- Colville, Washington
- Species: poultry and rabbit
- Inspection: Each producer operates under Producer/Grower 20,000 Bird Exemption
- Capacity per day: 150 to 200 birds (with a three-person crew)
- Owned by the Community Ag Development Center
- Community Agricultural Development Center website
- Basic information about how the unit works: Community Agricultural Development Center
- Contact: Al Kowitz, Community Agricultural Development Center, (509) 684-2588, akowitz@communityagecenter.org
Vermont Mobile Processing Unit/Spring Hill Poultry Processing
- Morrisville, Vermont
- Species: poultry
- Inspection: State-inspected
- Capacity per day: 250 birds
- Owned by the state of Vermont, leased to George Eisenhardt
- Trailer built by Brothers Body and Equipment (Crestline, Ohio); equipment supplied by Cornerstone Farm Ventures
- Details and photos in NMPAN webinar: Mobile Poultry Processing Units in California, Montana, and Vermont
- Contact: George Eisenhardt, (802) 888-7228
Montana Poultry Growers Cooperative
- Ronan, Montana
- Species: poultry
- Inspection: Each producer operates under Producer/Grower 20,000 Bird Exemption
- Capacity per day: 50-300 (depends on how much experience the user has)
- Trailer designed and built by Mark Rehder, Farms for Families
- Montana Poultry Growers Cooperative website
- Details and photos in NMPAN webinar: Mobile Poultry Processing Units in California, Montana, and Vermont
- Contact: Jan Tusick, Lake County Community Development, (406) 676-5901, jt@ronan.net
Island Grown Martha's Vineyard (MA)
- Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts
- Species: poultry
- Inspection: Each producer operates under Producer/Grower 20,000 Bird Exemption
- Island Grown Poultry Program website
- You Tube Video (7:16)
- Contact: Jefferson Munroe, jefferson@islandgrown.org
Massachusetts Mobile Poultry Processing Unit
- Belchertown, Massachusetts
- Species: poultry
- Inspection: State-approved, but uninspected; producers are required to have state slaughter license (Massachusetts Department of Public Health) and local board of health approvals prior to use
- Capacity per day: up to 400 birds
- Owned by New England Small Farm Institute; jointly managed with New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
- Info on MPPU, producer training, donor opportunities, and other resources, available on the New England Small Farm Institute website
- "As Built" guide to the MPPU: http://www.smallfarm.org/main/special_projects/mobile_poultry_processing_unit/as_built_guide/
- YouTube Video (3:17)
- Contact: Jennifer Hashley, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, (617) 306-4879, jennifer.hashley@tufts.edu
Parmalee Farm Mobile Unit (VT)
- Randolph Center, Vermont
- Species: poultry
- Inspection: custom
- Capacity: 20 birds per worker per hour
- Owned and operated by Clark Parmalee
- Contact: Clark Parmalee, (802) 249-3373, parmalee.clark@gmail.com
Red Meat Units
Central Coast Grown (CA)
- San Luis Obispo, California
- Species: beef, lamb, swine, goat
- Inspection: USDA-inspected
- Capacity per day: 5 beef or 10 hogs or 20 lambs and goats
- Owned and managed by the Central Coast Agriculture Cooperative; operated by J&R Meats, a USDA certified cut and wrap facility
- Central Coast Grown website
- Detailed case study, with photos: Coast Grown Mobile Harvest Unit
- Contact: J&R Meats, 805-237-8100
Community Agricultural Development Center (WA)
- Colville, Washington
- Species: beef, hogs, sheep, and goats
- Inspection: USDA-inspected
- Capacity per day: 6-7 beef, 20-25 sheep or hogs
- Owned by the Community Agricultural Development Center
- Community Agricultural Development Center website
- Contact: Al Kowitz, Community Agricultural Development Center, (509) 684-2588, akowitz@communityagecenter.org
Taos County (NM) Economic Development Corporation
- Taos, New Mexico
- Species: bison, beef, hogs, goats, sheep
- Inspection: USDA-inspected
- Capacity per day: 5-8 beef or bison, 15-15 goats, sheep or hogs
- Owned by the Taos County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC)
- TCEDC website
- Contact: Terrie Bad Hand, TCEDC, (575) 758-8731, tcedc@tcedc.org
Wild Idea Buffalo (SD)
- Rapid City, South Dakota
- Species: bison
- Inspection: State-inspected
- Capacity per day: 6-11 bison, 8 on average
- Wild Idea Buffalo website
- Contact: (866) 658-6137, (605) 716-0572, info@wildideabuffalo.com
Island Grown Farmers Cooperative (WA)
- Bow, Washington
- Species: beef, hogs, goats, and sheep
- Inspection: USDA-inspected
- Capacity per day: 9-10 head beef (or 40 sheep or 24 pigs)
- Owned by Island Grown Farmers Cooperative (IGFC)
- IGFC website
- Detailed case study, with photos: Island Grown Farmers Cooperative
- Contact: Jim Wieringa, IGFC, (360) 766-4273, manager@igfcmeats.com
Puget Sound Meat Producers Cooperative (WA)
- Tacoma, Washington
- Species: beef, pork, sheep and goat
- Inspection: USDA-inspected, Certified Organic by Washington State Department of Agriculture
- Capacity per day: 10 animal units (AU); 1 beef = 1 AU, 1 hog = 0.6 AU, 1 sheep/goat = 0.44 AU
- Owned by the Pierce Conservation District
- Puget Sound Meat Producers Cooperative website
- Contact: Perry Schermerhorn, PSMPC, (254) 225-2226, psmpc@pugetsoundmeat.org
Broken Arrow Ranch (TX)
- Ingram, Texas
- Species: venison, elk, antelope and wild boar
- Inspection: State-inspected for deer, elk and antelope, USDA-inspected for wild boar
- Capacity per day: 40 venison, elk or antelope, 50 wild boar
- Broken Arrow Ranch website
- Services are for population control: ranchers can hire Broken Arrow to come out to their ranch and selectively thin out overpopulated species, then Broken Arrow buys the meat from the farmer.
- Contact: Chris Hughes, (800) 962-4263, wildgame@brokenarrowranch.com
University of Alaska
- Northwest Campus, Nome, Alaska
- Species: reindeer
- Inspection: currently seeking state inspection
- Capacity per day: 50 reindeer
- Reindeer Research Program Website
- Other: Access to the unit will be for Alaska Native Reindeer Herders (the only people who can own reindeer in the state) and specifically those living within the Bering Strait Region/Seward Peninsula. The project is designed as an economic development effort to provide stability to an otherwise unmanaged and a currently non-profitable industry. Anyone can enroll in credited meat sciences/slaughter & cutting courses when they are offered.
- Contact: Greg Finstad, University of Alaska Reindeer Research Program, (907) 474-6055, glfinstad@alaska.edu
Alaska Meat Company, AK
- Kodiak, Sitkinak Island, Alaska
- "Multi-Location Abattoir"
- Species: cattle
- Inspection: USDA-inspected
- Capacity per day: 5 cattle
- Website: http://www.alaskameat.com/Services_Available.php
- Other: at this time, the unit only handles cattle for Alaska Meat Company
- Contact: Bob or Nathan Mudd, Kodiak, AK: bobmuddjr@gmail.com, (907) 486-3905; nathanmudd@gmail.com, (907) 654-7422
The Modular Harvest System (NY)
- Hudson Valley, New York
- Species: beef, hogs, sheep, and goats
- Inspection: USDA-inspected
- Capacity per day: approximately 10-12 beef, 24 hogs, 30-40 sheep or goats
- Owned and operated by Local Infrastructure for Local Agriculture (LILA)
- LILA website
- The MHS is the first USDA-licensed mobile slaughter unit in the country designed to handle the entire process inside.
- Contact: Jess Hamilton, LILA, (800) 792-4014, (518) 821-0004, hamilton@lila-northeast.org
Nebraska Prairie Harvest Project (NE/CO)
- Species: beef, bison, hogs, goats, sheep
- Inspection: USDA-inspected
- Capacity per day: 10 beef
- Built by Nebraska Environmental Action Coalition (NEAC). Operated by Mike Callicrate, Ranch Foods Direct, Colorado Springs, CO
- Good Food Concepts Mobile Meat Processing website
- Cost: this mobile unit was built by the Nebraska Environmental Action Coalition for $120,000 (includes the whole trailer and equipment but not the truck to haul the trailer). The unit includes an ozone-based water filtration system. NEAC is working with other communities on additional units.
- Contact: Good Food Concepts, (866) 866 6328, info@GoodFoodConcepts.com
