Lighthouse Custom Meats LLC

Lighthouse Custom Meats LLC operates at 464 N State Rd. 57 in Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana, under FSIS establishment numbers M47916 and V47916. The federal record lists meat processing, meat slaughter, and voluntary processing and slaughter of meat, with a grant of inspection on file dated March 3, 2023. The plant is classed by FSIS as very small and reports slaughtering cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb, at a volume category of under 1,000 head per year. It also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are returned in packages marked Not for Sale, and retail-exempt sales.

The company website describes an Indiana business set up to promote locally grown and hand-picked livestock from local producers, with staff visiting farms to examine practices before buying animals. The site states that the owners aim to provide a clean and Christian-based work environment. Alongside processing, the site describes a retail area and fresh meat counter, and says meat cutters can prepare cuts not shown at the counter.

The website separates two service tracks. Custom processing, for animals the customer owns, is described as done on Tuesdays. USDA-inspected processing, for product intended for public sale at farmers markets and retail stores, is described as done on Thursdays, with packages that can carry a farm name, logo, address, contact details, product weight, and packaging date. The site gives its phone number as (812) 645-9637, while the FSIS directory lists (812) 486-6471.

The website states that beef and hog processing appointments can be booked online, by phone, or in person, and that prices are based on live weight measured on a certified and bonded livestock scale at arrival. Quoted processing fees include slaughtering, cutting, vacuum packaging, and freezing, with no additional fees beyond optional extras. For beef, the site lists $0.65 per pound live weight for whole or half, $0.80 per pound for quarter, and $0.75 per pound for USDA-inspected whole or half. For hogs, it lists $0.85 per pound for whole, $1.00 per pound for half, and $0.95 per pound for USDA-inspected whole, with a flat $150 charge on hogs 150 pounds or less live weight. Optional extras include beef patties and stew meat at $0.85 per pound, sausage patties at $0.85 per pound, cured hams at $18 each, cured bacon at $10 each, and cured jowls at $7.00 each. Custom processing is listed as Tuesdays and USDA processing as Thursdays, and the site asks that hogs arrive by 6:00 a.m. because slaughter days start early. Producers selling to the public would use the USDA-inspected track, which the site says allows packages personalized with a farm name, logo, address, and contact information plus weight and packaging date. The plant reports slaughtering cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb to FSIS; the website's booking pages cover beef and pork only.

Lighthouse Custom 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 website describes a storefront in Bloomfield with a retail area and fresh meat counter, and states that customers who do not have an animal to process can still buy meat by visiting the store. A quarter beef program offers three pre-made packages, described as not custom ordered, each listed at $800 to $900 with pricing explained as beef price plus processing fee divided by four. Package A lists T-bone, porterhouse, ribeye, and sirloin steaks plus hamburger. Package B adds two rump roasts, two chuck roasts, and 5 pounds of stew meat. Package C adds brisket, minute steak, and round steaks. The site says staff can help locate a beef and cut a full beef for buyers whose needs the packages do not meet. 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.