Paradise Locker Meats

Paradise Locker Meats operates at 405 W. Birch in Trimble, Missouri, in Clinton County, under establishment numbers M31865, P31865 and V31865. FSIS lists the plant for meat slaughter, meat processing and poultry processing, with a size class of small and a grant of inspection date on file of August 9, 2021. The establishment reports slaughtering cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb under inspection, and its FSIS slaughter volume category is 2.0. It also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and returned in packages marked Not for Sale, and retail-exempt sales. The plant also does business as Fantasma's Finest and Paradise Meats.

According to the company website, the business dates to 1946, when it was built by the Lizar family in Paradise, Missouri, the source of the name. It later passed to the Mynatt family, and Mario and Teresa Fantasma purchased it in 1995, providing custom processing for local farmers and hunters along with a retail counter. A fire in June 2002 ended operations at the original site, and the family broke ground in Trimble in January 2003 and reopened there in September 2003. The site states the company now employs more than 50 people and processes 300 to 350 local animals per week, compared with roughly 10 beef and 10 hogs a week when the Fantasmas started.

The website describes sourcing from local family farms, with pasture raised Berkshire pork named as the house favorite, and beef described as naturally raised with no added hormones or antibiotics. Products are sold through a retail store in Trimble and through an online shop with shipping and subscription boxes. The site states processing is done in house at the company's own facility and refers to awards without naming them.

The plant reports custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer and returns packages marked Not for Sale, and it is listed for meat slaughter of cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. The website says the business has provided custom processing for local farmers and hunters and that it processes 300 to 350 local animals per week from small family farms, with Berkshire pigs named as the house favorite breed. A third party processor directory lists beef, hog and lamb processing with online harvest slot booking. Booking procedures, minimums, cut and wrap fees, and scheduling lead times are not stated in the sources on file.

Paradise Locker 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.

The website operates an online store with shipping for customers who do not live close enough to visit, including subscription boxes advertised at 5 to 15 percent off, and a retail store in Trimble with posted hours and a directions link. Listed items include sugar cured smoked bacon at $16.00 per pound, rendered pork lard of approximately 2 pounds at $15.00, cheddar bratwurst at $12.00 per 16 ounces, uncured hot dogs at $15.00 for an 8 link 21 ounce package, a burger and brat sampler from $65.00, and boneless KC strip steaks listed at $69.00 on sale from $81.00. Sales of halves and quarters are not mentioned 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.