St. Joseph Meat Market

St. Joseph Meat Market operates under USDA FSIS establishment numbers M8916 and P8916 at 26 1st Avenue N.W. in St. Joseph, Stearns County, Minnesota. The federal record lists meat processing, meat slaughter and poultry processing activities, with cattle and hogs reported as species slaughtered under inspection. FSIS classifies the plant as very small and places its slaughter volume in the lowest category, under 1,000 head per year. The grant of inspection date on file is February 18, 2016. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale, and reports retail-exempt sales.

The website describes a family-owned business employing 30 people across a retail store and processing facility, with many employees being family members. Its history page traces ownership from Mike Klein to John Pflueger in 1948, to Al Pfannenstein in 1968, and to Al's son Harvey Pfannenstein in 1997, who is listed as the current owner. A sausage kitchen was added to the retail store in 2012 to keep up with demand for homemade sausages and custom smoking orders. The site states the market makes over 150 kinds of sausages and over 60 kinds of brats.

Published services include custom butchering of beef, hog and veal, plus rabbit and turtle, curing and smoking, sausage making, and venison and wild game processing by phone inquiry. The website lists posted prices for these services and notes prices are subject to change without notice. The site describes the butchering process as federally inspected, consistent with the FSIS record. Hours are not stated in the material on file.

The plant reports custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, meaning animals owned by the customer can be slaughtered and processed with packages marked Not for Sale, and it also holds a federal grant of inspection dated February 18, 2016 for meat slaughter and processing. Cattle and hogs are the species reported as slaughtered under inspection, and FSIS places annual slaughter volume under 1,000 head. The website posts custom butchering charges: beef at a $65.00 cooler charge plus a $14.00 processing fee and $1.25 per pound including cut, wrap, grind and freeze; hog at a $50.00 cooler charge plus a $12.00 processing fee and $1.25 per pound; and veal at a $55.00 cooler charge plus a $12.00 processing fee and $1.25 per pound. Special labeling and packaging cost extra. Rabbit is listed at $6.00 each and turtle at $25.00 each, processing included. Further sausage making and curing and smoking charges are listed separately, including a $15.00 minimum on all smoking. The site directs venison and wild game customers to call 320-363-4913 for pricing. Booking lead times, scheduling windows and drop-off procedures are not stated in the sources on file.

St. Joseph Meat Market 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 describes a retail store in St. Joseph selling fresh meats including beef, pork, chicken, veal, turkey and venison, along with homemade sausages and brats made in its own sausage kitchen. The site lists meat bundles and an online ordering option, and a products page notes that customers should call to check availability. Retail-exempt sales are reported in the federal record. Hours, delivery and shipping are not stated in the sources on file.

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.