The Steel Buffalo Butchery

The Steel Buffalo Butchery operates at 1500 Harmony Church Road in Dawsonville, Dawson County, Georgia, under FSIS establishment number M46633. The federal record lists the plant for Meat Processing and Meat Slaughter, classes it Very Small, and shows a grant of inspection dated July 19, 2021. Species slaughtered under inspection are reported as cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, and goats, with a slaughter volume category of under 1,000 head per year. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and packages are marked Not for Sale, and reports retail-exempt sales.

The website describes a family owned and operated USDA and custom livestock processing facility, a wild game processor, and a retail meat market and farm store open to the public. Livestock processing is offered under both USDA and custom inspection. The home page lists that service for beef, pigs, sheep, and goats from January through September, while the livestock processing page lists beef, sheep, and goats for the same season. Halal processing is described for sheep, goats, and poultry, by appointment in the USDA-inspected facility, with community leaders and designated slaughtermen involved. Pricing, scheduling, and cut sheets are referred to links on the site rather than stated in the text on file.

According to the site, the building originally served as an abattoir for local farmers and families in the Dawsonville community. In 2015, owner Joe Green converted it into a deer processing facility, and it now operates as a local meat market and USDA abattoir. The name refers to Green's roots near Buffalo, New York, and the number 217 commemorates his son Nicholas. The website lists a phone number of 706-216-2170, while the federal record lists (706) 318-0226.

The plant reports both USDA-inspected and custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, with cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, and goats listed as species slaughtered under inspection, and an annual slaughter volume category of under 1,000 head. The website states livestock processing is offered from January through September, under both USDA and custom inspection. The home page lists beef, pigs, sheep, and goats for that service, while the livestock processing page lists beef, sheep, and goats. Halal processing for sheep, goats, and poultry is described as available by appointment, with community leaders and designated slaughtermen involved. Pricing, scheduling, and cut sheets are directed to further links on the site and are not stated in the text on file. Booking policy, minimums, and hanging or aging terms for livestock are not stated. Farmers should confirm current availability directly.

The Steel Buffalo Butchery 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 describes a retail meat market and farm store open to the public, stocking meat raised on the owner's farm, animals sourced from local farms, and specialty cuts from distributors. Whole and half beef, farm-raised chicken and pork, hand-cut individual cuts, and family bundles are listed. Beef bundles can be ordered online for pickup at the shop. The plant also reports retail-exempt sales to FSIS. Wild game customers can bring deer, bear, wild hog, and elk; deer hang a minimum of three days, each is tagged with a lot number for traceability, and meat is returned vacuum sealed and frozen. Listed wild game charges include a quartered or cooler deer at $80.00, out of state deer at $100.00 (deboned and quartered only), a $40.00 gut fee for all animals, a $40.00 cape fee, bear and wild hog at $1.25 per pound drop off weight, and elk, antelope, axis and similar at $1.25 per pound, deboned. Cape fees are listed at $125.00 for a rug and $75.00 for a shoulder mount. Processing time is listed as one to two weeks. Delivery or shipping is not mentioned.

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.