Big Valley Meats

Big Valley Meats operates at 16231 County Rd 26 in Houston, Houston County, Minnesota, under USDA FSIS establishment numbers M1173 and P1173. The federal record lists meat processing, poultry processing, and poultry slaughter activities, a size class of Very Small, and a grant of inspection date on file of 2025-03-26. Poultry is the only species reported as slaughtered under federal inspection, at a volume category of 1, meaning fewer than 1,000 head per year. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale.

The establishment website describes farm to table beef, pork, and poultry products and states that it offers both custom and USDA poultry processing, with availability by phone. Priced service pages cover poultry and turkey processing, deer processing, and custom pork, lamb or sheep, and goat processing. The pork collection page states that the pigs are locally sourced pasture pigs and that the meat is USDA inspected and vacuum sealed. The site also promotes pasture raised chicken and Thanksgiving turkey orders, and notes that inventory is being changed, with snack sticks and summer sausage listed as coming soon.

Contact numbers on file are (507) 896-3340 from the federal record and 507-313-5752 for Molly, listed on the website for product availability and deer processing questions. Business hours, founding date, and ownership details are not stated in the sources on file.

The website lists custom processing prices labeled Not for Sale. Pork processing is $160, processed, cut, sealed, and frozen, with vacuum sealing at two per package. Sheep, lamb, and goats are $150 processed, cut, sealed, and frozen. Listed extras include smoked products at $1.25 per pound, brats at $1.89 per pound, seasoned pork at $1.89 per pound, and boneless hams and chops for $25 extra. On farm service is $75 per location within 50 miles of Houston, with $0.25 per mile beyond 50 miles. For poultry, the site states there is no minimum number of birds, that chickens 10 pounds or more will not be accepted, that USDA inspected birds are $7.25 each, non-inspected broilers, stew hens, and roosters are $6 each, ornamental birds are $10 each, and any bird with a dressed weight under 4.5 pounds is $8, excluding ornamental birds. Birds are cleaned, sealed, and labeled, are chilled only, and must be picked up the same day. Turkey processing is $1 per pound dressed weight. Giblet charges are listed separately, and the site notes that USDA inspected uncleaned gizzards are dyed black. Booking terms and scheduling lead times are not stated.

Big Valley Meats 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.

Big Valley Meats sells beef, pork, and poultry through an online store, with free shipping on orders of $200 or more. Listed beef items include ground beef at $7.75, hamburger patties at $9.50, and various steaks and roasts up to $47.50 in the beef collection, with most items shown out of stock at the time the site was fetched. Pork items include chops, steaks, sirloin, leaf lard, and pork fat, plus a half pork bundle listed at $400. The site states that inventory is being changed, that most of the inventory is gone, and asks customers to reach out about products and availability, with a phone number for Molly at 507-313-5752. Pasture raised chicken and Thanksgiving turkey orders are mentioned. A retail storefront, pickup location details, and hours are not stated.

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.