Sinton and Sons Local Meats and Provisions

Sinton and Sons Local Meats and Provisions operates at 9050 Gravel Rd in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County, California, under FSIS establishment numbers M40268A, P40268A and V40268A. The federal record lists meat processing, meat slaughter and voluntary meat slaughter, with a grant of inspection dated May 22, 2014. FSIS classifies the plant as very small, and its reported slaughter volume category is under 1,000 head per year. Species slaughtered under inspection, as reported to FSIS, are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. The plant also reports custom-exempt processing.

The company describes itself as rancher owned and says it sources from Central Coast ranches, naming Avenales Ranch in the Pozo valley, which the site says has been in the Sinton family since 1875. Its website says Sinton and Sons butcher shops serve Paso Robles, Templeton, Creston, Santa Margarita, Shandon and Pozo, and lists pasture-raised beef, pork, lamb, sausage, jerky, chicken, wine and other provisions. The processing page states the operation is open for USDA harvesting of cattle, pigs, lambs and goats, and that custom, non-USDA and wild game processing are also available. Note that the federal record lists cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb as species slaughtered under inspection, while the website also names goats.

The online store sells beef shares and add ons, including quarter, half and whole beef deposits, a 10 pound grassfed ground beef box, beef liver, marrow bones, soup and knuckle bones, raw beef fat, hot sauce and gift cards. Beef shares can be picked up free at the Paso Robles shop or shipped within California for a stated flat fee. Hours are not stated in the sources on file.

The website states the operation is open for USDA harvesting of cattle, pigs, lambs and goats, and that custom/non-USDA and wild game processing are also available. Booking is by phone at (805) 237-8100 or by email, and cut sheets for beef, pig and lamb/goat are submitted through the site. Fees are charged up front and are refundable if cancelled more than 48 hours before the appointment. All drop off times are stated as 6:30 AM at the MJM Chandler Ranch in Creston, California, with a $50 charge for anyone more than 30 minutes late. A scalder for pigs is available. If an animal needs to be harvested on the producer's property, the site says the company can help arrange that and bring the carcass in for cutting and wrapping. The site also promotes USDA processing so producers can sell to their own customers, vacuum packaging with color labels, and custom cuts, sausages and exclusive products for brands. FSIS lists the plant as very small with a slaughter volume category of under 1,000 head per year, so capacity should be confirmed directly.

Sinton and Sons Local Meats and Provisions reports custom-exempt processing to FSIS, which means it can process an animal a customer already owns (a whole, half, or share bought before slaughter) and return it in packages marked Not for Sale. Most small farms have one or two plants they book with, and the plant's calendar decides the delivery date.

Sinton and Sons sells retail through butcher shops and an online store. Beef shares are offered as quarter (about 100 lbs, $13.00 per lb, $500 deposit), half (about 200 lbs, $12.50 per lb, $1,000 deposit) and whole ($2,000 deposit); the deposit is 50 percent of the share and a final invoice follows once total weight is known. Shares include premium steaks (filet, ribeye, New York), ground beef, steaks and roasts based on a standard cut sheet, with a choice of regular or ancestral ground beef (heart and liver ground in) on the quarter for an extra $1 per lb. Pickup at the Paso Robles shop is free with 24 hour notice; shipping within California is $200 for a quarter and $400 for a half. Individual items include a 10 lb grassfed ground beef box, liver, marrow bones, soup and knuckle bones, raw beef fat, hot sauce and gift cards. Order questions go to orders@avenalesranch.com or to the butcher shops by phone.

If you are buying a half or quarter animal, the plant is where the animal is processed; the farm sells you the animal. Read how to buy a half cow for the sequence and the math.