Lorentz Etc. Inc.

Lorentz Etc. Inc., doing business as Lorentz and marketed as Lorentz Meats, operates at 705 Cannon Industrial Blvd. in Cannon Falls, Goodhue County, Minnesota. The federal record lists establishment numbers M21207, P21207, and V21207, with FSIS activities covering meat slaughter, meat processing, poultry processing, voluntary meat slaughter and processing, and export certification. FSIS classifies the plant as small and reports cattle and bison as the species slaughtered under inspection, with a slaughter volume category of 3.0. The grant of inspection date on file is January 20, 2021. No custom-exempt activity is reported to FSIS.

The company website describes a full-service niche meat packing business specializing in natural, organic, and grass-fed meat processing, with services running from slaughter through retail-ready packaging. According to the site, Ed and Mary Lorentz purchased the locally owned Bremer Brothers Meat Market in Cannon Falls in 1968 and sold the business to sons Rob and Mike in July 1997. A larger processing facility was built in 2000, the deli and retail location was sold in 2005, and investment from The Organic Meat Company, a subsidiary of Organic Valley, followed in 2011. The facility expanded from 10,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet in 2013, adding further processing space and on-site cold storage, and became SQF certified in 2014. The site states the company has over 140 employees and that in 2014 it partnered to build Vermont Packinghouse in North Springfield, Vermont.

The plant reports both meat and poultry processing to FSIS. Its website states that beef and bison are slaughtered and fabricated in house, while further processing may use meat from other processors to add value to pork, turkey, and chicken. The site notes large windows into the abattoir and fabrication area for customer viewing, a chute system designed by Temple Grandin's design firm with a 2009 visit by Dr. Grandin, and recognition of its transparency in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.

The website states the plant works with producers ranging from local farmers raising a few cattle a year for their own use and limited direct sales, to regional branded programs, to national and international branded programs. Animals are delivered to the holding facility typically within 24 hours of processing, with food, water, and shelter in the holding area, and the chute system was designed by Temple Grandin's design firm. For individuals, the site posts a change described as new as of 2026: a ten animal minimum with two slaughter dates per year, with questions directed to processing@lorentzmeats.com and a cutting instructions form available on the site. Direct marketers are asked to contact the same address for scheduling and for basic packaging and labeling requirements. For new branded programs, the site states a successful program will require 1,000 plus beef per year, and smaller volumes are directed to the direct marketing information. Hanging weights and finished weights are compared daily, according to the site. Further processing carries pound minimums, with sample runs of about 200 pounds and regular run minimums determined by staff. No custom-exempt slaughter is reported to FSIS, and prices and fees are not stated in the sources.

Lorentz Etc. Inc. operates under a federal grant of inspection, so product from this plant can be sold anywhere in the United States, which matters if you sell online or across a state line. FSIS does not list a custom-exempt activity for this plant.

Lorentz does not describe a retail counter or online store in the sources. The website states the deli and retail location was sold in 2005, and the business now focuses on processing for farmers, direct marketers, and branded programs. Custom pick-up is handled at the plant, with payment in full required at pick-up and cash, checks, and all major credit cards accepted as listed. Households seeking beef or bison from this plant would generally buy through a farmer or brand that has product processed there. Halves, quarters, bundles, delivery, and shipping to consumers 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.