The Biggest Bottleneck in the Food Business

by Katherine Gustafson · 2010-01-22 06:00:00 UTC
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I've written about the great problem caused by USDA regulations limiting the slaughter of livestock on farms and in small slaughterhouses.

In an excellent article in the Atlantic, Barry Estabrook delves into this issue. He follows freelance "custom slaughterer" Monte Winship through the on-farm slaughter and butchering of one cow, which will be eaten by the family who raised it -- considering it can't legally be sold.

Patrick Martins of Heritage Foods USA tells Estabrook that, "The lack of slaughterhouses is the biggest bottleneck in the food business." Imagine the possibilities for small farmers if they weren't beholden to large slaughter operations blessed by the USDA, which Estabrook snidely calls "the same folks whose rigorous standards all but guarantee that yet another E. coli outbreak hits the news every week."

As distressing as the whole subject is, there is hope. Rupert LaRock, whose small company, Rup's Custom Cutting, employs Winship, told Estabrook that "Every time there's an E. coli scare, my phone starts ringing. There's so much demand out there that they are going to have to open on-farm slaughter to commercial sale soon."

That's good news for sustainable farmers and local food fans everywhere.

Photo: stock.xchng

Katherine Gustafson is a freelance writer and editor with a background in international nonprofit organizations.
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