Jos. Sanders, Inc.

Jos. Sanders, Inc., operating as Sanders Meats, is a USDA-inspected meat plant at 237 South Main in Custer, Mason County, Michigan. The federal record lists it under establishment number M10269 with both Meat Processing and Meat Slaughter activities, a small size class, and a grant of inspection date on file of October 15, 2021. Species slaughtered under inspection are reported to FSIS as cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb, with a slaughter volume category of 1, meaning 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 website describes Sanders Meats as founded in 1925 and family owned and operated, now a fourth-generation family business. It states that the plant slaughters and processes local cattle and hogs weekly and that USDA inspectors are in the plant daily. Alongside slaughter and custom processing, the business runs a retail meat market and an online store, and it ships to the continental United States by UPS. The site notes an anniversary observance, "Cheers to 100 years," and lists store hours of Monday through Friday 8a to 5p and Saturday 8a to 12p, closed Sunday.

In addition to retail and custom work, the company describes a wholesale program served by its own meat trucks distributing through parts of western, central, and northern Michigan, and lists a distribution area covering Antrim, Benzie, Clare, Grand Traverse, Kent, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa, and Wexford counties. Deer processing and hog roast services with grill rental are also described. Whether the plant is currently accepting new work is not stated; details are as listed.

The website states that Sanders Meats slaughters and processes local cattle and hogs weekly in its USDA-inspected plant, with USDA inspectors in the plant daily, and that it also does custom beef and pork slaughtering and processing. Posted custom processing rates are an $80.00 kill fee for beef and a $60.00 kill fee for pork, plus $0.55 per pound for cut and vacuum seal, and $0.99 per pound smoking fee on pork. All pork cuts are described as vacuum packaged. The federal record confirms cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb are slaughtered under inspection, though the website discusses only beef and pork custom work. Deer are accepted for processing, but not on Sundays and not road kill, and hunters are told to remove their own antlers at drop off using the saw on the dock. Booking procedures, lead times, minimums, and scheduling windows are not stated in the sources.

Jos. Sanders, 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.

Sanders Meats operates a retail meat market in Custer and an online store with roughly 140 listed products, some marked in-store only and some available online. Listed items include hams, smoked bacon, smoked pork chops, bratwurst, hot dogs, snack sticks, jerky, summer sausage, and never-frozen steaks and burgers, plus meat bundles and gift boxes. Sample listed prices include Sanders Original Ham 20 to 23 pounds at $84.90, smoked bacon 4 to 5 pounds at $37.90, and braunschweiger chunk at $7.90. The site states that website orders are for UPS shipping only and that customers who do not want shipping should call the office to place an order. Whole hogs are sold for roasts at $1.90 per pound for 150 pounds or less, $1.85 per pound for 151 to 200 pounds, and $1.60 per pound over 200 pounds, with a $200.00 cook fee, $75.00 grill rental, and $50.00 injection charge, and at least two weeks notice. Halves and quarters of beef are not described 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.