Bellingar Packing

Bellingar Packing operates at 1557 E. Wilson Rd. in Ashley, Michigan, in Gratiot County, under FSIS establishment numbers M2023, P2023 and V2023. The federal record lists Meat Processing, Meat Slaughter, Voluntary Processing - Meat and Voluntary Slaughter - Meat, with cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb reported as species slaughtered under inspection. FSIS classes the plant as small, with a slaughter volume category of 1.0, meaning under 1,000 head per year. The grant of inspection date on file is April 22, 2024. The plant 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 company website describes Bellingar Packing as the Ashley processing facility of Bellingar Meats, which it says has served Mid-Michigan since 1977 and also runs specialty meat markets in St. Johns and DeWitt. The Ashley site is described as offering custom beef, pork and lamb processing by appointment, plus seasonal venison and other wild game processing, along with meat smoking for products such as fish, snack meats and cheese. The site labels its cut-order pages USDA Certified and Custom Exempt.

Online cut-order forms are posted for beef, pork and lamb, covering cut selections, package counts, steak thickness and specialty products. A batching notice on those forms states that some specialty products, including snack sticks, summer sausage, hot dogs, ring bologna, jerky, sausage, brats and flavored patties, may be produced in batches, and that fresh liver, heart, tongue and tail may also be batched unless the animal is specifically identified as grass-fed. The Ashley location also serves a carry-out lunch menu from 10 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Saturday, as listed.

The plant is federally inspected for cattle, hog, and sheep and lamb slaughter and also reports custom-exempt slaughter, so animals owned by the customer can be processed with packages marked Not for Sale. The website states that beef, pork and lamb processing is by appointment and asks customers to call (989) 838-2274 to schedule, then submit the appropriate cut-order form before the appointment. Cut-order forms ask who the animal was purchased from and what portion of the animal the customer is receiving, indicating both whole-animal owners and share buyers are handled. Specialty product minimums are stated on the beef form: 6 lb minimum per flavor on jerky, snack sticks and summer sausage, with 12 lb minimums on jalapeno snack sticks and spicy or jalapeno cheese summer sausage. Pork orders limit the number of sausage and brat products by half hog or whole hog. The site notes that some specialty items and some fresh organs may be produced in batches unless the animal is identified as grass-fed. FSIS volume category places annual slaughter under 1,000 head, so scheduling capacity is limited. Base processing fees per head are not stated in the sources.

Bellingar Packing 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.

Household buyers can order custom processing on a whole, half or quarter animal at the Ashley plant using the online beef, pork or lamb cut-order forms, choosing cuts, package sizes, steak thickness and specialty items such as jerky, snack sticks, summer sausage and brats. The website states orders are labeled, freezer-ready, and customers are notified when the order is ready for pickup. Retail counter shopping is described at the two Bellingar Specialty Meats stores, in St. Johns at 5006 N US Highway 27 and in DeWitt at 128 S. Bridge St., which carry fresh beef, pork and chicken plus house-made bacon, brats, jerky, snack sticks and summer sausage. Selection is said to vary by store. The Ashley location also serves a carry-out lunch menu. Shipping and delivery are not mentioned in the sources. Prices are listed only for jerky, snack sticks and summer sausage on the cut-order forms.

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.