A Cut Above Processing and Meat Market, LLC

A Cut Above Processing and Meat Market, LLC operates under USDA FSIS establishment number M47585 at 6295 Caesar Necaise Rd in Perkinston, Mississippi, in Hancock County. FSIS lists the plant for both meat slaughter and meat processing, classes it as very small, and shows a grant of inspection dated February 10, 2023. Species slaughtered under inspection as reported to FSIS are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. The website also lists goats among the species it serves. Reported slaughter volume falls in the lowest FSIS category, under 1,000 head per year.

The plant reports both custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are returned in packages marked Not for Sale, and retail-exempt sales. The website describes a 6,000 square foot facility with a USDA-inspected slaughter floor and overhead crane, a smoke room and curing area, a walk-in freezer and holding coolers, and retail display space with meat cases and stand-up refrigeration. The owners describe themselves as cattle producers who have raised livestock on a 1,600 acre farm in Perkinston for generations and who built the processing facility in 2020 to serve other farmers and families. The website calls the plant Hancock County's only USDA-inspected slaughterhouse.

Two service tracks are described: custom-exempt processing for livestock raised for personal use or sold as whole, half, or quarter animals, and USDA-inspected processing for producers selling meat by the package under a retail label. Cut sheets for beef, pork, and goat and sheep are posted on the site. Pricing is stated to be based on species, hanging weight, and type of service, with additional charges possible for smoking, curing, or sausage production. Hours of operation are not stated in the material on file.

The website is aimed at cow-calf producers and other livestock owners and describes a four-step process: schedule a slaughter date as either custom-exempt or USDA-inspected, drop off the animal and confirm cutting instructions, have the meat processed and packaged to those specifications, then pick it up. Custom-exempt work is described as suited to families and to farmers selling whole, half, or quarter animals to individual buyers, with packages not for resale by the cut. USDA-inspected work is described for producers selling cuts under their own retail label, including custom cut sheets, batching, and traceability. Cut sheets for beef, pork, and goat and sheep are posted. Pricing is stated to depend on species, hanging weight, and service type, with extra charges possible for smoking, curing, or sausage. Booking is by phone at 228-365-9291 or 228-493-0436, or by email at cutaboveprocessing@gmail.com. FSIS lists slaughter of cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb; the website also names goats. No minimums, deposits, or lead times are stated.

A Cut Above Processing and Meat Market, 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 establishment reports retail-exempt sales to FSIS, and the website describes retail display space with meat cases and stand-up refrigeration. The About page refers to an upcoming retail meat market where local beef, pork, and more could be purchased, while search listings and the products page describe a meat market as part of the business, so the current retail status is unclear from the material on file. Households can also use the custom-exempt route by buying a whole, half, or quarter animal from a farmer and having it cut to instructions, vacuum sealed, and labeled by cut name and weight; a Freezer Beef Guide is offered for custom-exempt customers. Retail hours, delivery, shipping, and online ordering 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.