Contents |
How to Approach a New or Expanded Business
If you're thinking about building a new plant, or upgrading or expanding an old one, this page overviews the steps needed to needed to build, expand or upgrade a meat plant.
Does it pencil out? Financial planning tools
Exploring the idea of developing a slaughter and meat processing operation? Use this cash flow template tool, created by Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), to develop your own cash flow model and explore your business options.
CISA designed this template, in 2008, to test the financial feasibility of establishing a small-scale, low-tech, mixed species slaughterhouse and processing facility. CISA partnered with a small group of farmers to estimate cash flow inputs for building or renovating a small-scale slaughter and processing facility. Based on this, they developed a cash flow projection and Profit and Loss Statement, in template format for others to use.
You can find the template, with detailed instructions, along with the full feasibility study, "Demand and Options for Local Meat Processing," on the CISA website.
Run your own numbers with this planning tool, based on an existing MSU in Washington State, Thundering Hooves.
Watch a demonstration in this webinar: (1) Mobile Processing Units: What's the State of the Art?
This is a detailed cost and revenue analysis for a pair of MSUs and a permanent fabrication plant proposed for Northern Nevada.
Meat Processing Feasibility Studies
(Coming soon: check back!)
Different groups around the country have conducted feasibility studies to learn what kind of processing solution makes the most sense in their area. We provide summaries of selected studies, with contact info for the authors, and links to the full reports (pdf).
Succession Planning
Want to sell your business or pass it on to the next generation?
This page has 5 worksheets to help you breakdown the process and an explanation of the methods of business ownership legal transfer and their associated tax liabilities.
Financial Assistance Programs
This page describes five different financial assistance programs that actually work for meat processors.
Examples of Public-Private Partnerships to Finance Meat Processing
Around the country, meat processors and their communities have built public-private partnerships to share construction and operating costs. We describe a few examples.
Marketing
Local Meat Buying Guide
This easy to use, consumer-oriented guide explains buying pork and beef as whole animals (or portions thereof). The guide explains marketing terms, storage and handling recommendations, types of meat inspection, meat weights (live vs. carcass vs. retail cuts), and common retail pork and beef cuts with color photos.
Marketing Beef for Small-Scale Producers
If you are a small-scale producer, marketing less than 100 beef a year, the way to market your beef for the least amount of time and money is to direct market in halves, quarters, and bundles. This document explains how to resolve common problems with selling halves, quarters, or bundles. The information is also relevant to marketing pork, lamb, or other meats directly.
Beef Marketing Alternatives
Read online or download the pdf.
This publication, from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service explores marketing alternatives for small-scale cattle ranchers who want to add value to the beef they produce. Part One: how to add value within conventional marketing, including retained ownership and cooperative marketing. Part Two: alternative marketing strategies, including niche markets for “natural,” lean, and organic beef, with additional production info about pasture-finished beef. Includes guidance on connecting with direct market consumers and developing a product; processing and legal issues; how to develop retail prices based on wholesale prices and desired mark-up; and how to determine carcass value.
Pork Marketing Alternatives
Read online or download the pdf.
This publication, from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is for sustainable hog producers, who are creating products that many consumers want to buy but can't find in their grocery stores . Consumers perceive sustainably raised pork to be healthier to eat, and they are willing to pay hog producers more for raising pigs in a manner that is humane, helps sustain family farms, and is environmentally friendly. This guide discusses aspects of direct marketing and niche markets, including legal considerations, labels, trademarks, processing regulations, and obstacles.
