Atlas Meat Company

Atlas Meat Company operates a very small USDA-inspected slaughter and processing plant at 4020 John Deere Dr. in Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado, under establishment number M40306. The federal record lists both meat slaughter and meat processing activities, with a grant of inspection dated October 25, 2021. Species slaughtered under inspection, as reported to FSIS, are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. The plant reports custom-exempt slaughter, meaning it also processes animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale, and it reports halal slaughter. Its FSIS slaughter volume category is 1.0, under 1,000 head per year.

The company website describes the business as a custom meat processing and packaging facility serving ranchers, farmers, and individual customers throughout Northern Colorado. Customers drop off an animal with a completed cut sheet, and the plant handles slaughter, cutting, and packaging to those instructions before pickup. The website states four species are accepted for custom processing: beef, hog, lamb, and goat. Goat is named on the website but is not among the species listed as slaughtered under inspection in the federal record.

Pricing is described as varying by species, hanging weight, and processing options, with a downloadable price sheet and cut sheets available on the site's Resources page. Scheduling is by phone or email. No retail counter, bundle sales, shipping, or delivery are described in the material on file.

The plant is set up around drop-off custom work. The website instructs customers to bring the animal to the Fort Collins facility with a completed cut sheet specifying how the meat should be cut and packaged, and to download the appropriate cut sheet from the Resources page in advance or email it ahead. Appointments are scheduled by phone or email. Pricing is stated to vary by species, hanging weight, and processing options, with a current price sheet available for download; no specific prices, deposits, minimums, or booking lead times are stated in the sources. The website lists beef, hog, lamb, and goat as accepted species, while the federal record lists cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb as slaughtered under inspection. The plant reports custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, so some work may be returned as Not for Sale. Halal slaughter is reported to FSIS. Availability should be confirmed directly with the plant.

Atlas Meat Company reports custom-exempt slaughter 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.

The website addresses individual customers as well as ranchers and farmers, but the service described is custom processing of an animal the customer brings in, not retail sales. No retail counter, halves or quarters, bundles, online ordering, delivery, or shipping is described in the sources on file. A search snippet describes the business as a custom meat processing plant and butcher shop; the company's own site does not describe over-the-counter retail. Households interested in buying meat should call to ask what is available.

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.