Processing is an important consideration for direct marketers. Custom facilities are generally cheaper to use. Large commercial, federally inspected plants may not be geared to do custom butchering for the small beef producer. Producers should contact their state department of agriculture for regulations about meat processing and sale to the public.

Beef must be slaughtered and inspected at a federal- or state-approved facility in order to be sold to individuals, as in the freezer beef trade, or to restaurants. If beef is processed at a custom facility that is not federally or state inspected, then it can only be sold prior to slaughter. This means the cattle must be sold by the head or by live weight, which doesn't account for wide variations in dress-out percentages between animals. Joel Salatin deals with this dilemma by selling his animals for $1 per head and then adding shipping and handling charges based on carcass weight. However, we cannot recommend this practice. The liability risk involved should not be underestimated.

Producers considering constructing their own slaughtering and processing facility should remember that it is very important to comply with federal, state, and local regulations for processing — the axiom "ignorance is not an excuse" applies here. Farmers who intend to process on-farm should be aware of all federal, state, and local regulations. Your state departments of agriculture and health will have information about regulations. Your county Extension office should be able to direct you to the county agencies that regulate zoning, health, and other local regulations.

In 1996, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced implementation of new rules meant to ensure the safety of meat products. A major component of the regulations is the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. FSIS works with small and very small processing plants to make sure they comply with the HACCP. All facilities must comply by January 25, 2000. To learn more about HACCP mandates, or to obtain copies of FSIS-developed models for designing HACCP-compliant small facilities at the least cost, contact FSIS.

Retail and individual meat sales require packaging in accordance with state food laws. Since good packaging enhances sales, label design and presentation are important. Vacuum packaging provides superior product protection as compared to hand-wrapping. Feeding high levels of Vitamin E for two weeks prior to slaughter increases the shelf life of meat.