Bill and Jim Eklund receive cattle near their farm in Stamford, N.Y. The next day, the cows will be led into the Modular Harvest System (behind Bill) to be processed.
Posted on 05/24/2010 9:17:56 AM PDT by dennisw
The only indication that I was outside a slaughterhouse was the blood dripping from a pipe jutting out of a pristine white trailer. I’d driven right past the Lego-like set-up — a refrigerated semi-trailer with a half-trailer and a delivery truck stuck onto it — parked behind Eklund’s old farm-machinery shop in Stamford, N.Y. With a former Hollywood trailer situated nearby, I took it for a movie set. But I was looking at the first mobile slaughterhouse for large animals in the Northeast.
Organic, grass-fed meat is much in demand in Manhattan restaurants, but little of it is local. It’s not that Hudson Valley farmers aren’t raising it. Who wouldn’t want the extra 25 cents per pound that a 900-pound organically raised cow can bring? But when it comes time to kill (or “harvest”) their animals, farmers have only four slaughter facilities available in the area to go to.
Instead, they drive to Pennsylvania or Massachusetts to plants that can process more than 1,700 cattle a day — when they can get a slot.
“They have to schedule appointments 9 to 12 months in advance,” “Because they’re raising them outside, they don’t have as much control over their growth as other people do on feed lots. So even if the animal’s not their optimal weight or condition, they have to keep their appointment.” The farmers must then return to pick up the meat, which can no longer be certified organic.
The fact that regional slaughterhouses were the missing link in the supply chain was no secret among farmers. So in 2008, the task force at Glynwood began researching how to build a plant that could be moved to selected docking sites around the Hudson Valley, a portable abattoir able to be replicated anywhere in the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Bill and Jim Eklund receive cattle near their farm in Stamford, N.Y. The next day, the cows will be led into the Modular Harvest System (behind Bill) to be processed.
Look at that poor cow, why don’t they slaughter the guy on the right? LOL /sarc
This looks like a great idea. Glad to see that American entrepreneurialism lives.
..not organic?
Just get your meat from the supermarket, where they make it!
...and a great way to eliminate those pesky conservatives!
Although the idea of the Einsatzgruppen did flash through my mind. I hope the Dems don't get any ideas.
Excellent example of what makes this nation great, thanks!
What has made this necessary are the hand-in-hand oligopoly and regulator in the FDA/USDA that allows the big packing plants to keep raising the entry barriers to new packing plants.
Next morning deliver fresh goose to grocery stores.
This looks like a great idea. Glad to see that American entrepreneurialism lives>>>>>>>>
You betcha! There is a huge demand for natural and organic in downstate NY and New York City. But the good honest farmers don’t raise the cattle, sheep etc due to lack of slaughterhouses. Those Wall Street banksters love good food. Why don’t they finance a slaughterhouse? Put down their high frequency trading crack pipe for a while?
It’s like those mobile organ harvesters the chicoms use.
EXACTLY what I thought when I saw that...
How edible are those things?
What has made this necessary are the hand-in-hand oligopoly and regulator in the FDA/USDA that allows the big packing plants to keep raising the entry barriers to new packing plants.>>>>>>>>>
I believe you. The national regs are very high and designed for those colloquial Mid West slaughterhouses. NY State needs to take a leaf from the Tenth Amendment and regulate NY state slaughterhouses so that smaller ones can be built
Circa 1988 I visited a small county abattoir in the South. I don’t know if it would pass the Federal rules today
Never had one, but I love the farm raised ones, the eggs are super duper , too.
If your job is shoving cows around, it helps if you are bigger than the cow.
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