Wailua Meat Company LLC

Wailua Meat Company LLC operates at 887 Kamalu Road Unit F in Kapaa, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, and also does business as RKL Ranch and Wailua Meat Company. The federal record lists establishment numbers M12455A and V12455A, with FSIS activities of Meat Processing, Voluntary Processing - Meat, and Voluntary Slaughter - Meat. FSIS classes the plant as Very Small and shows a grant of inspection date of December 7, 2021. Species detail is not reported to FSIS. The plant reports custom-exempt slaughter, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale, and it also reports retail-exempt sales.

The company website describes a ranching operation that raises pasture-raised, grass-finished beef and lamb on Kauai's east side, and states that its products are grass-finished rather than grain-finished. The site traces the business to 1936, when Manuel Sanchez began raising cattle on a sixty-acre parcel in Wailua Valley, and says the family built one of Kauai's earliest commercial slaughterhouses in 1945. William Joseph Sanchez, known as Willy, took over management and production of the original slaughterhouse in 1969, described on the site as one of only two slaughterhouses still active on Kauai. The site states the operation today manages a processing facility with more than 500 head of cattle across 1,326 acres of pasture, and that cattle are raised and processed on Kauai. The site also carries the line "Since 1964" alongside the 1936 origin story.

The website says beef is distributed island-wide and is used by Kauai restaurants, cafes, food trucks and eateries, and lists retail grocers that carry the brand. It also states that butcher and processing services are provided in the company's facility, with interested parties directed to make contact for more information. Details beyond what is listed here, including species handled, scheduling, and custom processing fees, are not on file.

The federal record shows Wailua Meat Company reports custom-exempt slaughter, processing animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale, and lists FSIS activities of Meat Processing, Voluntary Processing - Meat, and Voluntary Slaughter - Meat under establishment numbers M12455A and V12455A. The website states that butcher and processing services are offered in the company's facility and directs prospective customers to make contact for more information. Booking procedures, lead times, minimums, kill fees, cut and wrap charges, and the species accepted are not stated in the sources, and species detail is not reported to FSIS. Farmers should contact the plant directly at (808) 431-4256 to confirm availability, as listed.

Wailua Meat Company 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 publishes a price list covering beef cuts, offal, bones, tallow, ground bison, ground lamb, lamb chops, pork cuts, fresh eggs, dog bones and Uncle Willy's beef jerky, with prices given per pound or per item. Orders are placed through a pre-order form on the site, with 24-hour advance notice requested, and buyers may choose delivery or pickup at Wailua Meat Co. during posted hours, with payment due at pickup. The site says the beef is also sold at Kauai grocers including Wailua Country Store, Papaya's Natural Foods, Hoku Foods, Healthy Hut and Natural Pet, and is served at a list of Kauai restaurants and eateries. Halves, quarters, bundles and shipping off island are not mentioned 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.