Just read an interesting article from Mother Earth News (an awesome website focused of helping people homestead and become more self sufficient). Anyhow the article "
Demand for Local Meat Brings the Butcher to the Farm" talks of how some small butchers have started to mobilize themselves in order to stay in business and help meat the demands for local meat. I think this idea is BRILLIANT! I remember the days of living on the farm, lovingly raising our livestock and then having to traumatize them trying to get them on the trailer to take them to the butcher. Most livestock like the open spaces, and they inherently aren't of much a mind to leave those spaces for cramped smelly trailers... and they certainly aren't fans of being in moving vehicles... ok, maybe there are a few out there, but not many. :) Anyhow, the idea of being able to call in a mobile butcher to come right to the farm, fully process our livestock to neatly packaged meat, all without herding everything into cages or trailers... that is so much easier, and likely CHEAPER. Hauling animals anywhere is not a cheap undertaking. First, there's the expense of having the equipment to haul the animals... a good sized trailer (couple thousand at least), vehicle capable of moving the trailer (think Ford F350 or similar, $28,000+ new), gas/diesel for the trip (averaging nearly $4+/gal, this adds up fast), processing fees by the butcher (varies, and I've not priced recently)... the list goes on. With all that expense, no wonder a lot of local meat prices are higher than your typical Walmart meats. Have a look at the article and I will try to look up some mobile butchers to list here. Perhaps there's one near your farm. Let us know if you tried this service and what you thought about it.
Also for those interested in the USDA requirements for Mobile Butchering Units, have a look
here at the compliance guidelines. It will require Adobe Acrobat to read.
Mobile butchers as found on Google... most didn't have much info, so call your local butcher and ask. Perhaps enough interest in a mobile unit in your area would convince them to try it if they haven't already.
Thrush Processing LLC-AZ Pricing varies by weight and distance, but they do estimates over the phone. Also, reportedly family friendly and glad to let you watch the entire process. They process livestock and game meats and require an inspection of your animals for butcher to prove ownership by the AZ Dept of Agriculture.
Stockham's Mobile Butchering-ID No website listed for this one, but we do have an address and phone number. 150 Colorado Street,
Gooding,
ID 83330-1059 Phone: (208) 934-4028
Butcher's by state, not necessarily mobile (I may add more to this list later, these are mostly just outside my area)
MD
Cracked Cork Llc
301-791-2882 8 E MAPLE ST
FUNKSTOWN, MD 21734
PA
Cessna's Butcher Shop
814-847-2749 3327 MAIN RD
BEDFORD, PA 15522-3916
Guyer Ed Custom Butchering
717-532-8038 10125 MOUNTAIN RD
ORRSTOWN, PA 17244-9413
Landis Butchering
717-369-4211 2417 SHIELDS RD
CHAMBERSBURG, PA 17202-9138
Mellott's Butcher Shop
717-328-2232 7826 CHARLESTOWN RD
MERCERSBURG, PA 17236-9752
Miller Meats
717-375-2344 250 ALLEMAN RD
CHAMBERSBURG, PA 17202-7236
Rosenberry's Abattoir Inc
717-264-8255 1711 GABLER RD
CHAMBERSBURG, PA 17201-9566
Starliper's Custom Butchering
717-328-5125 13787 BUCHANAN TRL W
MERCERSBURG, PA 17236-9451
WV
Nelson's Meat Processing LLC
2561 Yates Crossing Rd
Milton WV 25541 Primary: 304 743-5400
VA
Mts Equipment
540-662-5927 116 BRUCE DR
WINCHESTER, VA 22601-4213
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