Bern Meat Plant

Bern Meat Plant operates at 411 Main in Bern, Nemaha County, Kansas, under USDA FSIS establishment numbers M21293, P21293 and V21293. The federal record lists meat processing, meat slaughter, and voluntary processing and slaughter of meat, with a grant of inspection date on file of 2013-11-20. FSIS classifies the plant as Very Small and lists cattle as the species slaughtered under inspection, in the lowest slaughter volume category of under 1,000 head per year. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, where animals owned by the customer are processed and packages are marked Not for Sale, and reports retail-exempt sales.

According to the plant's website, Bern Meat began in 1961 and now serves customers from the local area as well as Nebraska, Texas and Colorado. The site states that beef and pork are purchased from local farmers, and that the shop handles slaughtering, cooling, processing, curing, smoking and wrapping. The website describes dry aging of beef carcasses, minimal processing of beef without added artificial ingredients, flavor, coloring or chemical preservatives, packaging in red and white butcher paper, and a sharp freezer held at -10F.

The business offers both custom processing for animal owners and retail sales of beef and pork cuts kept on hand in retail freezers. The website directs customers to call (785) 336-2165 for processing instructions, current prices and other questions. Details beyond what is stated above, including booking lead times, fees and minimums, are not on file.

The plant reports custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale, and it holds a federal grant of inspection dated 2013-11-20 covering meat slaughter and processing. Cattle are the species listed as slaughtered under inspection, and FSIS places annual slaughter volume under 1,000 head. The website's custom processing page lists beef and pork cut options, including steaks, roasts, brisket, stew meat, short ribs, soup bones and ground beef for beef, and chops, sausage, bratwurst, bacon, ham, roasts, steaks and smoked hocks for pork, and states that staff will guide customers through the choices. Customers are asked to call (785) 336-2165 for detailed processing instructions. Scheduling lead times, kill fees, per pound processing charges and minimum weights are not stated in the sources.

Bern Meat Plant 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 states that beef and pork cuts are kept on hand in retail freezers and invites customers to stop in, listing steaks, roasts, ground beef in 1 lb, 1.5 lb, 2 lb and 20 lb bundles, patties, brisket, snack items such as jerky, ring bologna, snack sticks, dried beef and summer sausage, heat and eat BBQ beef and pork, ham loaf, and a range of fresh and smoked pork items. The site also says customers can call in to order custom beef. Prices are not published; the retail page directs buyers to call (785) 336-2165 for current prices. Sales of halves or quarters, delivery and shipping 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.