Farview Farms Meat Company

Farview Farms Meat Company operates at 6325 NW Topeka Blvd in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, under FSIS establishment numbers M39942, P39942, and V39942. The federal record lists meat processing, poultry processing, voluntary processing of meat, and voluntary slaughter of meat, with a grant of inspection date on file of June 15, 2017. FSIS classifies the plant as very small. The establishment also reports custom-exempt slaughter, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer and returns packages marked Not for Sale. Species detail is not reported to FSIS, though the company website names beef, hogs, sheep, goats, buffalo, and elk for custom butchering.

According to the website, owner Drew Forster and his wife Trenna own and operate the business. Forster writes that he began in the meat business in 1995 at Valley Vista Locker, worked as assistant manager at the Kansas State University Meat Lab while earning an animal science degree, graduated from KSU in spring 2001, and bought the old Valley Vista Locker that fall, starting Farview Farms Meat Company. The site says the building and land were refurbished to modernize facilities and meet Kansas Department of Agriculture requirements.

The business runs three main lines: custom butchering for home-raised animals, wild game processing for hunters in northeast Kansas, and a retail counter with fresh and smoked meats. The company also sells jerky and snack sticks online with shipping, and states it offers private label and co-packing using its recipes or the customer's, processed in its USDA inspected facility. Retail and wholesale inquiries are directed to (785) 246-1154 or info@ffmeats.com.

The website states the plant butchers on Wednesdays and will work with customers to schedule home-raised animals and plan a cutting order to exact specifications. Species accepted for custom butchering are listed as beef, hogs, sheep, goats, buffalo, and elk, with wrapping and packaging styles offered to fit customer needs. Extra hanging time, carcass data, weighing of individual cuts, and total yield can be accommodated. Posted pricing effective February 2, 2022 lists a beef kill fee of $75 up to 800 lbs and $.15 per lb hot carcass weight over 800 lbs, hog kill fee $65, elk or buffalo kill fee $75, disposal fee $35, processing fee $1.00 per lb HCW, grinding and packaging $.50 per lb for beef or pork, sausage $1.05 per lb, split side fee $25 per order, curing and smoking $1.75 per lb trimmed weight, fajita, jerky strips, or stew meat $1.75 per lb, patties $1.75 per lb with a 25 lb minimum, link sausage $2.25 per lb with a 25 lb minimum, tenderizing $1.75 per lb, vacuum packaged ground $.95 per lb, lamb processing $150, and three weeks hanging for beef at $50 per head. The site notes prices are subject to change and other fees may apply. The plant reports custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, so animals slaughtered under that exemption return to the owner in packages marked Not for Sale. Booking terms beyond the Wednesday butcher day are not stated.

Farview Farms Meat Company 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 full service butcher shop in Topeka carrying fresh beef, pork, chicken, lamb, buffalo, and elk, along with smoked meats, bacon, sausages, jerky, snack sticks, and other local foods and gifts. Freezer bundles are offered, along with whole, half, or quarter beef and whole or half hogs for sale from local farmers. Economy bundle and every day bundle pricing are referenced on the retail page. Jerky and snack sticks can be ordered online through the site's Shopify store, with 2.5 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, and case of 12 sizes listed at a regular price of $8.99 for 2.5 oz packages, and the site advertises free shipping on orders over $75. Some items were shown as sold out at the time of capture.

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.