Bowman's Butcher Shop, LLC

Bowman's Butcher Shop, LLC operates at 3452 Churchville Road in Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, under USDA establishment numbers M44985 and P44985. FSIS lists the plant for meat slaughter, meat processing, and poultry processing, with a grant of inspection on file dated August 4, 2021. It is classified as very small, and reports slaughtering cattle, sheep, and lamb under inspection at a volume of under 1,000 head per year. The establishment also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and packaged marked Not for Sale, and retail-exempt sales.

The shop's website describes it as Harford County's only whole animal butcher shop, a USDA certified processing facility, and a retail store, and states the business has been dedicated to relationships with local farms for over 75 years. The site lists slaughter appointments as a service alongside retail sales. A Facebook page description refers to the business as a custom processor.

The retail side sells local dry aged beef, 100% grassfed beef, Wagyu beef, veal, local pastured pork, poultry, lamb and goat, exotic meats, seafood, house-made sausage, deli and charcuterie, local dairy and eggs, pet food and treats, local cheese, and local sundries and provisions. Buyers can shop online for pickup at the Aberdeen store, shop in person, or order home delivery. Details beyond what appears here, including custom cut and wrap fees, booking lead times, and hanging weight pricing, are not on file.

The establishment reports both federally inspected slaughter of cattle, sheep, and lamb and custom-exempt slaughter of customer-owned animals, with custom packages marked Not for Sale. FSIS places annual slaughter volume under 1,000 head, so capacity is small. The website has a Slaughter Appointments page, indicating bookings are scheduled in advance, and the shop states it works with local farms. Specific booking lead times, drop-off procedures, minimums, kill fees, and cut and wrap charges are not stated in the sources on file. Farmers should call (410) 914-5607 to confirm current scheduling.

Bowman's Butcher Shop, 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 Aberdeen store sells retail cuts including hand cut steaks, dry aged beef, pastured pork, poultry, lamb and goat, sausage, deli items, dairy and eggs, and pantry provisions. There are three stated ways to buy: order online and pick up on a scheduled date at the Churchville Road store, shop in person, or order online for home delivery. Delivery is offered to Harford County, Cecil County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County for a stated $10 fee. Butcher boxes, best value bundles, weekly specials, and gift certificates are also listed. Halves and quarters are not specifically described in the sources, though the website refers to filling a freezer.

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.