Ruthven Meat Processing Inc.

Ruthven Meat Processing Inc. operates at 1701 Railroad Street in Ruthven, Palo Alto County, Iowa, under FSIS establishment numbers M2118, P2118 and V2118. The federal record lists meat processing, meat slaughter, poultry processing, voluntary meat processing and voluntary meat slaughter, with a grant of inspection date on file of December 18, 2023. FSIS classifies the plant as very small and places it in slaughter volume category 2.0. Species slaughtered under inspection are reported as cattle, sheep and lamb. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale, and it reports retail-exempt sales. The federal record lists two doing-business-as names, Locker at the Lakes in Spirit Lake, Iowa, and The Butchery on Grand in Spencer, Iowa.

The company website describes the Ruthven location as the locker plant, housed in a former Farmers' Creamery brick building that was converted long ago to a meat locker, and states that a second retail store opened in Downtown Spirit Lake in 2018. The contact page lists the locker plant at 1701 Railroad Street in Ruthven, phone 712.837.5334, and a retail shop at 305 N. Grand Avenue in Spencer, phone 712.580.2882. Staff listed are Chris Kraft, President and Owner, Suzie Kraft, Vice President and Business Manager, Nick Gilmore, plant maintenance and operations manager, and Jen Cacek, plant manager. A search listing describes the business as family-owned.

Alongside custom processing, the website advertises a retail line of fresh and smoked meats plus seasoning rubs, cheese, liquor, pop and cold beer, and gift certificates in any amount. Accepted payment is listed as cash, checks, debit, Mastercard, VISA and Discover. The site lists wild game processing prices in addition to livestock butchering prices. The website also refers to arranging hog, beef or lamb processing for customers who do not raise livestock, while the species reported to FSIS as slaughtered under inspection are cattle, sheep and lamb. Hours are not stated in the sources on file.

The plant reports both federally inspected slaughter and custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, with cattle, sheep and lamb listed as the species slaughtered under inspection and custom-exempt packages marked Not for Sale. The website advertises a custom processing service with livestock butchering prices and wild game processing prices, and states that prices are subject to change without notice. Fresh cuts such as steaks, roasts and chops are wrapped in poly film and butcher paper, ground meat is stuffed into poly bags, and specialty items such as sausage, brats and jerky are vacuum packed in thick plastic bags. Booking procedures, scheduling lead times, kill days, hanging weight charges and minimums are not stated in the sources on file. The website directs customers to call 712.837.5334.

Ruthven 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.

The company operates retail meat counters in addition to the Ruthven locker plant, with a retail shop listed at 305 N. Grand Avenue in Spencer and a second retail store opened in Downtown Spirit Lake in 2018 according to the website. The retail list includes fresh beef, pork and chicken cuts along with smoked items such as bacon, dried beef, jerky, snack sticks, ring bologna and salami, plus seasoning rubs, cheese, liquor, pop and cold beer. Meat and cheese gift boxes can be made for any amount and gift trays come in many sizes, with time allowed for preparation, and special smoked orders such as rullepolse, whole turkey and whole bone-in ham require two weeks lead time. For buyers who do not raise livestock, the website says the plant will arrange for a local producer to bring a hog, beef or lamb in for them, and will arrange for others to share an animal and its cost when freezer space is limited. Payment methods listed are cash, checks, debit, Mastercard, VISA and Discover. Online ordering, shipping and delivery are not mentioned in the sources on file.

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.