GA Small Ruminant Research and ExtCenter Ag Research College of Ag

The Georgia Small Ruminant Research and Extension Center, listed in the federal record as GA Small Ruminant Research and ExtCenter Ag Research College of Ag, operates under establishment number M21741 at 1005 State University Drive in Fort Valley, Peach County, Georgia. The establishment is associated with Fort Valley State University's College of Agriculture. FSIS lists it under both Meat Processing and Meat Slaughter activities, with a grant of inspection date on file of October 4, 2019.

Species slaughtered under federal inspection, as reported to FSIS, are cattle and sheep and lamb. FSIS classifies the plant as Very Small and places its slaughter volume in category 1.0, meaning under 1,000 head per year. The establishment also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the resulting packages are marked Not for Sale, and reports retail-exempt sales.

No website is on file for this establishment, and no operating details, pricing, scheduling practices, or product lists have been verified. University pages describe the Georgia Small Ruminant Research and Extension Center as the largest facility of its kind east of the Mississippi River, but those pages describe the research center broadly rather than the terms of meat work at the inspected plant. Details beyond the federal record are not yet on file. Farmers and household buyers should contact the listed phone number, (478) 827-3078, to confirm what is available.

The federal record lists both slaughter and processing activities for cattle and sheep and lamb, and the establishment reports custom-exempt slaughter, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale. FSIS places the plant in the smallest slaughter volume category, under 1,000 head per year, and classifies it as Very Small, so available capacity is likely limited. Booking procedures, lead times, drop-off requirements, kill fees, cut and wrap charges, and hanging weight terms are not stated in any source on file. Because this establishment is tied to a university research and extension program, farmers should call (478) 827-3078 to ask whether outside animals are accepted and on what terms.

GA Small Ruminant Research and ExtCenter Ag Research College of Ag 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 establishment reports retail-exempt sales to FSIS, which generally allows direct sales of meat to household customers, but no source on file describes a retail counter, bundles, halves or quarters, delivery, shipping, or online ordering. Hours are not stated. Households interested in buying should call (478) 827-3078 to ask what, if anything, is sold directly.

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.