Mobile Slaughterhouse Could Help Farmers, Consumers

Amy Radil
07/28/2008

Consumers, chefs, grocers – everyone seems to want more locally raised meat. But the farms, slaughterhouses and butcher shops that could provide it have been disappearing from the Puget Sound region. Last week (7/22) the Pierce Conservation District voted to fund a project that's giving farmers new hope. KUOW's Amy Radil reports.

MOST LIVESTOCK GROWERS SELL THEIR ANIMALS AT AUCTION, OR TO A BIG COMPANY LIKE TYSON FOODS, AND SAY GOODBYE TO THEM FOREVER. CATTLE, FOR EXAMPLE, GO ON TO A FEEDLOT, A SLAUGHTERHOUSE, AND THEN THE SUPERMARKET. IT'S MUCH HARDER FOR FARMERS AROUND PUGET SOUND TO SELL THEIR MEAT LOCALLY. FOR ONE THING, THEY HAVE TO HAUL THEIR ANIMALS TO USDA–INSPECTED SLAUGHTER FACILITIES IN OREGON OR THE TRI–CITIES, AND BACK TO THEIR HOMETOWNS.

BUT FARMERS WILLING TO MAKE THAT EFFORT ARE FINDING NO SHORTAGE OF DEMAND.

OUELETTE: "At this point we've got a waiting list and we'll probably start that back up again."

FROM HER STALL AT THE TACOMA FARMERS' MARKET, CHERYL OUELLETTE SELLS GRASS–FED BEEF, PORK, AND FREE–RANGE CHICKENS. SHE INFORMS SOME DISAPPOINTED CUSTOMERS THAT SHE CAN'T TAKE ON ANY MORE SUBSCRIBERS TO BUY HER MEAT. SHE CURRENTLY SELLS AT THREE FARMER'S MARKETS, AND SUPPLIES TWO LOCAL RESTAURANTS, IN ADDITION TO THE CSA OR COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE PROGRAM. OUELLETTE SAYS HER FARM IS SUSTAINABLE THE WAY IT IS, AND SHE DOESN'T WANT TO GET ANY BIGGER.

OUELLETTE: "I cannot feed all of these people, we need more farmers!"

TO THAT END, OUELLETTE IS LEADING THE EFFORT TO BUILD A USDA–INSPECTED MOBILE MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY, AND A COOPERATIVE TO RUN IT. THE SETUP IS SIMILAR TO ONE OPERATING IN ISLAND COUNTY. THE MOBILE SLAUGHTERHOUSE WOULD VISIT FARMS IN PIERCE, KING, THURSTON AND KITSAP COUNTIES. AND THE PIERCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT RECENTLY COMMITTED TO FUND IT. THE DISTRICT'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MONTY MAHAN SAYS HAVING A SLAUGHTERHOUSE ON WHEELS MEANS NO ONE TOWN HAS TO GRANT A PERMIT.

MAHAN:"The animals can be killed and processed in the back of that van. The meat is delivered to a meat storage facility, and basically nobody has to have a slaughterhouse in their backyard, which nobody really wants."

WITHOUT THE USDA INSPECTED FACILITY, A FARMER CAN SELL A WHOLE OR HALF ANIMAL TO A NEIGHBOR, BUT NOT CUTS OF MEAT. WHICH IS HOW MOST PEOPLE BUY MEAT.

SMACIARZ: "I am the old–fashioned butcher. I can take a whole carcass and cut it down into little filet mignon steaks."

TRACY SMACIARZ RUNS THE SHOP HIS DAD STARTED IN ROCHESTER, SOUTH OF OLYMPIA. HE AND OTHER BUTCHERS COULD BENEFIT FROM A RENEWED INTEREST IN LOCAL MEAT. FARMERS WILL BE ABLE TO HIRE SMACIARZ AS PART OF THE CREW WHEN THE TRAILER COMES TO THEIR PLACE. HE SAYS THE DEMAND FOR LOCAL MEAT STARTED GROWING IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. SO HE ALSO BUILT A USDA–CERTIFIED PROCESSING PLANT AS PART OF HIS SHOP, TO CUT AND WRAP THE FINISHED PRODUCTS FOR CONSUMERS AND RESTAURANTS.

SMACIARZ: "I built this plant before even getting involved with this USDA mobile slaughter trailer."

BACK AT HER FARM NEAR TACOMA, OUELLETTE CHECKS AFFECTIONATELY ON HER SOWS, PIGLETS, CATTLE AND CHICKENS. THE SHEEP AND TURKEYS HAVE GONE OFF TO FIND SOME SHADE. OUELLETTE SAYS OVER THE YEARS, CONSUMERS HAVE LOST TOUCH WITH THE FARMERS, BUTCHERS AND OTHERS WHO MAKE THEIR FOOD. SHE SAYS ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE COOPERATIVE WILL BE TO CONNECT CONSUMERS AND LOCAL CHEFS WITH BUTCHERS, AND BRING THE PRESTIGE BACK TO THEIR WORK.

OUELLETTE: "Butchers used to be highly revered, you went to your butcher, he cut that perfect steak for you and he'd tell you how to cook it and everything else."

OUELLETTE'S NICKNAME IS "THE PIG LADY." SHE'S GREGARIOUS AND LIKES HEARING FROM THE PEOPLE WHO EAT HER FOOD. BUT FOR FARMERS WHO DON'T LIKE MARKETING, OUELLETTE SAYS THE COOPERATIVE WILL MATCH THEM UP WITH CHEFS, MARKETS AND CUSTOMERS. SHE SAYS MANY SMALL FARMERS HAVE HAD NO WAY TO GET THEIR LIVESTOCK TO MARKET.

OUELLETTE: "They said if they have USDA processing available they will expand their herds, expand their operations and grow. And that's amazing, because as far as that goes, most farmers have not been expanding their operations in the last twenty years."

NEXT, THE PUGET SOUND MEAT PRODUCERS COOPERATIVE WILL SOLICIT BIDS FOR THE MOBILE SLAUGHTERHOUSE. THEY HOPE TO HAVE THE UNIT UP AND RUNNING SOMETIME NEXT YEAR. THEN OUELLETTE WILL HAVE JUST ONE MORE PROBLEM – THE BALD EAGLE THAT HAS BEEN STEALING HER LAMBS AND PIGLETS. AMY RADIL, KUOW NEWS.

℗ Copyright 2008, KUOW News