Southern Cuts Processing, LLC

Southern Cuts Processing, LLC operates at 2018 US Highway 280 in Pitts, Wilcox County, Georgia, under USDA FSIS establishment numbers M50790 and P50790. The federal record lists meat slaughter, meat processing, and poultry processing activities, with cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb reported as species slaughtered under inspection. FSIS classifies the plant as very small and places its slaughter volume in the category of under 1,000 head per year. The grant of inspection date on file is February 26, 2026. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and packaged marked Not for Sale, and reports retail-exempt sales.

The business describes itself as a family-owned small business butcher shop offering USDA-inspected and custom beef processing along with a retail meat market selling farm fresh beef, pork, chicken, and sausage. The site states that grab and go breakfast and lunch are served daily. Its processing page states the facility is USDA federally inspected and offers processing for beef and hogs, which is narrower than the species list reported to FSIS. The website also sells whole and half farm shares for beef, pork, and lamb, and lists box deals and gift cards through an online store.

According to the About Us page, the operation is run by Rick Hopper, a Pitts cattleman who raises Black and Red Angus cattle, feeds out steers, and works in hay, and his wife Leanne, a University of Georgia graduate in agriculture and agribusiness who oversees administrative and bookkeeping work. Nothing in the sources states a founding year, and no certifications beyond federal inspection are stated. Listing details are as recorded; the registry does not assert current availability.

The processing page states that cattle and domesticated hogs are accepted by scheduled appointment only, and that wild hogs are not accepted. Livestock may be delivered between 7:30 and 9:30 am unless told otherwise, and haulers check in at the front before unloading. A completed cut sheet is required prior to unloading, and beef and hog cut sheets are posted on the site. Animals must be able to walk off the trailer, and the plant asks that animals not be fed for 24 hours before the kill appointment, water only. Cattle over 30 months of age must be identified in advance because they require special handling and a kill fee. If a whole cattle carcass weighs less than 500 pounds, a minimum hang weight of 500 pounds is charged. Per USDA requirements the plant cannot retain beef heads; heads must be picked up the next day, and hides may be kept for an additional $50 with next-day pickup. Beef carcasses hang 14 days and hog carcasses hang 4 to 7 days. Customers are called when product is ready and must pick up within 10 business days or a storage fee applies for each additional day. Cash or check is preferred, and cards are accepted with an additional 2.85 percent fee. The site directs farmers to call Leanne at 706-436-7683 or email southerncutsprocessing@gmail.com for appointments, pricing, and fees.

Southern Cuts Processing, 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 business operates a retail meat market offering farm fresh beef, pork, chicken, and sausage, and states that grab and go breakfast and lunch are served daily. An online store sells whole and half farm shares, with deposits listed at $250 for a half beef, $250 for a whole beef, $150 for whole or half pork, and $50 for a whole lamb; some of those deposit listings were shown as sold out at the time the site was read. Box deals with a variety of beef, chicken, and pork are also offered, along with gift cards. The site states shipping goes out every Tuesday. Retail hours are not stated in the sources.

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.