Boone's Abattoir, Inc.

Boone's Abattoir, Inc., doing business as Boone's Butcher Shop, operates at 100 Old Bloomfield Pike in Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky, under FSIS establishment numbers M8078, P8078, and V8078. The federal record lists meat processing, meat slaughter, poultry processing, poultry slaughter, and voluntary meat processing and slaughter activities, with a grant of inspection date on file of August 31, 2021. Species slaughtered under inspection are reported to FSIS as cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. FSIS classifies the plant as small and places it in slaughter volume category 1.0, meaning under 1,000 head per year. The establishment 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 business describes itself as a family-owned and operated retail meat store, slaughterhouse, and USDA inspected processing facility. According to its website, Boone's began in 1946 as a one-room operation started by Luel Boone, who slaughtered hogs for a local farmer and then expanded as demand grew. His son Jerry became a full-time butcher after high school and took over in 1979. Jerry, his wife Donna, and their children Allison and Matthew manage daily operations. A fire in April 2004 destroyed most of the building, and a rebuilt facility opened at the same location more than a year later. The site notes over 3,000 square feet of retail space stocked with fresh meats, cheeses, deli products, and frozen foods, with fresh meat cut and packaged on site daily and beef ground every morning.

In addition to livestock work, Boone's runs a seasonal deer processing operation. The website states deer were accepted for the 2025 and 2026 season beginning September 2, 2025, through March 1, 2026, with daily caps during Modern Gun Season, batch processing of ground and cooked product, a $60 deposit on whole deer, and restrictions requiring out-of-state deer and deer from a list of Kentucky counties to arrive quartered or boneless with head, hide, and spinal column removed.

The website states that the processing schedule for dates through December 31, 2026 is open and that appointments are booked by calling (502) 348-3668 and selecting the option for livestock processing and scheduling. No animals are accepted for processing without a confirmed appointment. The posted harvest schedule is Tuesday by appointment only for beef, sheep, and goats, and Wednesday by appointment only for hogs. Boone's states it offers USDA inspected services with meat labeled for resale as well as custom exempt processing, citing over 80 years of experience and cut and packaging to customer specifications. Beef and hog cut sheets and a packaging instructions form are referenced on the site. Note that FSIS lists cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb as the species slaughtered under inspection, while the website's harvest schedule also lists goats. Fees for custom livestock processing are not stated in the sources.

Boone's Abattoir, 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.

Boone's operates a retail meat market described as over 3,000 square feet, with fresh meat cut and packaged on site daily, beef ground each morning, homemade sausages, cheeses, deli products, and frozen foods. Freezer buyers can call to request a half hog or a split quarter of beef; the site says beef and hogs are processed weekly and that a ready date cannot be guaranteed. Listed pricing on the site: half hog approximately $350 to $400 at $2.39 per pound dressed weight plus $1.20 per pound cured weight, or a whole hog at $2.34 per pound; split quarter beef ranging $800 to $1,200 at $4.99 per pound dressed weight grain finished or $5.59 per pound grass finished. Prices are described as market based and subject to change without notice, and package counts and prices are estimates that vary with animal size. All cuts come vacuum packed. Beef is currently offered in standard cuts only to speed processing; half hogs may be standard or custom cut. Whole pigs for barbecue are sold on a sliding per pound scale by weight, require at least 7 business days notice before pickup, and carry a $50 deposit on hogs under 150 pounds, refundable with 7 days cancellation notice. 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.