Northwest Premium Meats, LLC

Northwest Premium Meats, LLC operates at 137 N. Happy Valley Road in Nampa, Idaho, in Canyon County. The plant is listed in the USDA FSIS directory under establishment numbers M11032, P11032 and V11032, with a grant of inspection date on file of October 26, 2021. FSIS classifies it as a small establishment and records activities that include meat slaughter and processing, poultry slaughter and processing, and voluntary slaughter and processing of meat, poultry and rabbit. Species reported slaughtered under inspection are cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, bison, and elk or deer. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, where animals owned by the customer are returned in packages marked Not for Sale, and reports retail-exempt sales. Its FSIS slaughter volume category is 2.0.

according to the company website, the business was founded by a small group of bison producers in 2001, who purchased the facility when the previous lessees were about to close it. The site states the main portion of the building was built in the late 1940s to early 1950s as a custom processor, with the last major addition in the early 1980s adding the harvest floor, holding coolers and USDA office. The company describes itself as locally owned, operated and staffed, and says it advocates for the trade through wage rates comparable to other skilled trades and an apprenticeship program.

The website emphasizes work for small direct-market producers: USDA harvest, dry aging, hand cutting, vacuum and form-fill packaging, and private labeling with help on label design and USDA claims submission. It states there are no minimums and no volume discounts, with pricing based on production costs so a producer pays the same rate for one animal or 100. The site says the plant is Organic certified by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and holds third-party certification as an Animal Welfare Approved processor. No retail storefront hours, product list, or shipping information appears in the material on file.

The website is written primarily for producers. It states all animals are harvested under USDA inspection using industry-recommended practices, which gives producers more selling options, and that animals destined for personal use receive the same standard of service. There are no minimums and no volume discounts; the site says pricing is based on production costs, so a producer pays the same whether bringing one animal or 100. Carcasses are dry aged, with beef generally hanging 10 to 14 days depending on producer preference and other factors, and all cutting and packing is done by hand. Packaging is high-quality form-fill or vacuum bags, clear on both sides, rather than tubes, shrink-wrapped trays or paper wrap. Private labeling is available for USDA products, with black and white labels printed on the fly and a one-time set-up fee with no additional cost afterward. The plant, founded by bison producers, says it is set up to handle a wide range of red meat species and processes them according to species rather than treating them all as beef. FSIS records list cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, bison, and elk or deer as slaughter species. Producers who have dropped off animals can download beef, goat and lamb, or pork cut sheet forms from the website and return them by email or phone. Booking procedures, lead times, and fees are not stated in the sources.

Northwest Premium Meats, 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 federal record shows the establishment reports retail-exempt sales, and the website mentions items retailed in its office with preference given to local companies. Beyond that, the sources on file do not describe a retail meat counter, halves or quarters for sale, bundles, delivery, shipping, or online ordering. Households interested in buying meat directly should contact the plant at (208) 466-9413 or NWPremiumMeats@gmail.com to ask what is available. Customers who own animals can have them slaughtered custom-exempt, with packages marked Not for Sale, and can submit the beef, goat and lamb, or pork cut sheet forms posted on the website.

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.