Lake Haven Custom Meat Processing, LLC

Lake Haven Custom Meat Processing, LLC operates at 92850 Military Road in Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota, in Pine County. The plant holds establishment numbers M45599, P45599 and V45599, with a grant of inspection on file dated October 14, 2021. FSIS lists it as a Very Small establishment carrying out meat and poultry slaughter and processing, plus voluntary slaughter and processing for meat, poultry and rabbit. Species slaughtered under inspection as reported to FSIS include cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, elk or deer, and poultry. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale. Its reported slaughter volume category is 3.0.

The business website describes it as family owned and operated since 2001, started by Archie Johnson, who had butchered his own and his neighbors' livestock. After his death in 2008 the business passed to his grandson, Al Hjelmberg. The current facility sits within the original Lake Haven Farm, which the website states has been in the family since 1892, and construction on a new facility was completed in early 2015. The website says the customer base is primarily in Pine and Carlton counties. It describes custom processing for beef, hogs, sheep and goats, and inspected slaughter and processing for beef, hogs, sheep and goats as well as buffalo, elk, rabbits and poultry. The site also states the operation is one of the few USDA-inspected meat processing facilities in northern Minnesota.

The website's news note states that the 2025 schedule was mostly full and that no poultry openings remained for the season. Buyers and producers should confirm current availability directly with the plant, since scheduling and capacity are not tracked in the federal record. Listed business hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a main phone of (218) 372-8300 and an after-hours number of (218) 341-0296.

The website states that appointment dates must be set ahead of time and that the plant does not accept animals that are already slaughtered. Posted pricing lists beef and pork at $.90 per pound hot hanging weight for slaughter, hang and process; $50 per hog for slaughter without processing; and $100 per animal for sheep and goats. Additional services are listed as curing and smoking at $1.75 per pound including slicing, vacuum packaging at $.50 per pound, patties at $1.25 per pound, sausage seasoning at $.75 per pound, and boxes at $1.25 per box, with recycled boxes provided free and purchased plain boxes offered for producers delivering to their own customers. A storage fee of $5.00 per day applies to orders held more than three days after notification without prior arrangement. Pork orders with smoked items are said to take 2 to 3 weeks from the processing date. Cut sheets for beef, pork, lamb and goat, and poultry are available online or as downloads, and the plant asks to be told about any organs wanted on or before the butcher date. The website notes the 2025 schedule was mostly full with no remaining poultry openings, so producers should call about current dates.

Lake Haven Custom Meat Processing, 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 website says Lake Haven serves local household consumers with bulk beef and pork available as custom cut quarters or halves, arranged by contacting the plant so it can reach out to local farmers and place the buyer on the schedule. Prices for beef and pork are described as varying with time of year and availability, so buyers are asked to call. Custom processing includes cutting, wrapping and freezing, and buyers choose package weight and preferred cuts using the cut sheets. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Pickup is at the Sturgeon Lake facility, and the website asks customers to call before coming since staff may be away from the shop during regular hours. No retail storefront, delivery, shipping or online ordering is 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.