Korte Meat Processing Inc.

Korte Meat Processing Inc. operates at 915 Hemlock St. in Highland, Illinois, in Madison County, under FSIS establishment numbers M45314 and P45314. The federal record lists meat slaughter, meat processing, poultry slaughter, and poultry processing, with a grant of inspection date on file of June 2, 2020. Cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb are reported as species slaughtered under inspection. FSIS classifies the plant as small and places its slaughter volume in the under 1,000 head per year category. 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 company website describes a family owned business founded in 1969 by the late Alfred Korte and Don Richter. Services listed include custom slaughtering and processing, cut and wrap, tenderizing, hamburger patties, sausage making, smoking and curing, game processing, a retail and deli counter, banquet room rental, weekday lunch service, and catering order forms. The website states that its meats and facilities are inspected by the Illinois State Department of Agriculture, while the federal directory lists the establishment with FSIS establishment numbers and federal inspection activities. Buyers who need to know which inspection applies to a given lot should confirm directly with the plant.

Product lines named on the website center on German style sausages and cured meats, including pork sausage, mettwurst, bratwurst, pork ring, head cheese, summer sausage, hot sticks, whole muscle jerky, bacon, and hot dogs made with natural casings. The site also lists butchering supplies, premixed seasoning packages, party and deli trays, and Napoleon grills. One search snippet from a separate domain gives a founding year of 1949; the establishment's own about page states 1969.

The website states that custom slaughtering and processing is the service the business was built on and that custom slaughtering is done on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Beef, pork, goats, elk, buffalo, and other exotic animals are handled by appointment only. Inspected beef is hung 7 to 10 days for proper aging, then cut and packaged to the customer's specifications, with tenderizing, hamburger patties, sausage making, smoking, and curing available. The FSIS record lists cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb as species slaughtered under inspection, and the plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, where the resulting packages are marked Not for Sale. Slaughter volume is in the FSIS category of under 1,000 head per year. Pricing, scheduling lead times, minimums, and hanging weight terms are not stated in the sources. Meat processing order forms are posted on the website.

Korte Meat Processing Inc. 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.

A retail counter and deli operate at the Hemlock Street location, offering fresh beef and pork cuts, prepared meats, cheeses, sausages, bacon, and cured meats, sliced to the customer's specification. Party and deli trays are made to order, including sausage and cheese trays and deli trays sized for 10 to 15 people or up to 45 people, with prices varying by the meats selected. The website runs two online carts: a Ship Store with a limited product list that can be shipped or picked up, and a Pickup Only Store with a longer product list where an estimated total is given and payment is made at the store. For shipping, the site states that perishable items travel at the receiver's risk with no protective service, and that customers should call the plant about damaged or delayed shipments so a UPS claim can be attempted. Halves and quarters 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.