Bay Lake Farms, LLC

Bay Lake Farms, LLC operates a very small USDA-inspected plant at 8344 Bay Lake Road in Groveland, Lake County, Florida, under establishment numbers M1786 and P1786. The federal record lists meat slaughter, meat processing, poultry slaughter, and poultry processing activities, with a grant of inspection date on file of December 29, 2023. Cattle and hogs are the species reported slaughtered under inspection, and FSIS places the plant in its lowest slaughter volume category, under 1,000 head per year. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale.

The business is owned by the Parlier family: Terry and Debbie and their sons Keith and Kurt. According to the website, Terry has worked in Florida aquaculture and agriculture since 1987, starting as a nuisance alligator trapper and processing alligators in his own Department of Agriculture approved facility, later managing alligators on more than 500,000 acres of private land at times. The family began raising beef several years ago and expanded the processing facility into what the site describes as a full-service USDA inspected abattoir and full-service meat shop.

The website lists processing for beef, pork, lamb, and goat, and invites customers to visit the farm store. Note that the federal record lists poultry activities and reports only cattle and hogs slaughtered under inspection, while the website describes beef, pork, lamb, and goat processing. Cash, check, Venmo, and Zelle are accepted. Hours, prices, scheduling lead times, and shipping details are not stated in the sources on file.

The plant reports both USDA-inspected slaughter and custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, so animals can be processed either for resale under inspection or for the owner's own use with packages marked Not for Sale. Cattle and hogs are the species reported slaughtered under inspection; the website also describes lamb and goat processing. Cut sheets for beef and pork are referenced on the website. Orders are placed by calling or visiting the farm, with two listed contacts, Keith at (352) 702-6189 and Kurt at (352) 988-0359, in addition to the plant number on file with FSIS, (352) 978-0294. Booking windows, minimums, kill fees, and cut and wrap rates are not stated in the sources.

Bay Lake Farms, LLC 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 invites customers to visit the farm store and describes Bay Lake Farms as a full-service meat shop selling beef, pork, lamb, and goat alongside its processing work. Cash, check, Venmo, and Zelle are accepted. The company says it produces for customers who want to know where their food comes from and how it was raised. Store hours, retail prices, bundle or half and quarter pricing, delivery, shipping, and online ordering are not stated in the sources on file.

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.