HCSD Agri-Business Center

HCSD Agri-Business Center operates at 4439 Cleveland Highway in Gainesville, Hall County, Georgia, under USDA FSIS establishment number M2169. The federal record lists both meat slaughter and meat processing activities, with cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb reported as species slaughtered under inspection. FSIS classifies the plant as very small, with a slaughter volume category of under 1,000 head per year, and shows a grant of inspection date on file of May 1, 2025. The establishment also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale, and reports retail-exempt sales.

The facility is part of the Hall County School District Agri-Business Center, an education operation on a 51 acre farm property whose stated purpose is to provide Hall County students with hands-on opportunities in Georgia's agri-business economy. Programs of study named on the site include animal husbandry and genetic studies, food science production and processing, and turf and landscape design and management. The site refers to the plant as the Meat Science Center and describes it as the only program of its kind in the United States, with posts noting that students process beef there and that HCSD beef has been served in schools. A store page exists, headed HCSD Farm Agri-Business Store, with the note that farm proceeds support the Young Farmer Program.

The FSIS record lists a phone number of (770) 534-1080, while the center's website lists 470-941-6024 for the Agriculture Business Center. Details beyond the federal record and these website pages, including hours, booking practices, custom cut and wrap options, pricing, and what is actually sold at the store, are not yet on file.

The federal record lists this establishment for both slaughter and processing of cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb, and it reports custom-exempt slaughter, meaning animals owned by the customer can be processed with packages marked Not for Sale. Volume is small: FSIS places the plant in the under 1,000 head per year category and in the very small size class. The published materials describe the plant primarily as a Hall County School District teaching facility, and nothing in the sources states whether outside livestock is accepted, how far ahead dates must be booked, whether there are minimums, or what kill and cut and wrap fees apply. Farmers should call before hauling. The FSIS record lists (770) 534-1080 and the center's website lists 470-941-6024.

HCSD Agri-Business Center 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 center's website includes a page headed HCSD Farm Agri-Business Store, with a note that farm proceeds support the Young Farmer Program, and the establishment reports retail-exempt sales to FSIS. Website posts state that beef processed by students at the Meat Science Center has been served in Hall County schools. The sources do not list store hours, product prices, available cuts, bundle or half and quarter options, or any delivery, shipping, or online ordering.

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.