Ridgeway Freezer Inc

Ridgeway Freezer Inc, doing business as Thomas Farm Quality Meats, is a very small USDA-inspected plant at 23386 W. 220th Avenue in Ridgeway, Harrison County, Missouri. It holds establishment numbers M13575, P13575 and V13575, with a grant of inspection date on file of August 6, 2021. FSIS activities on the federal record include meat slaughter and processing, poultry processing, and voluntary slaughter and processing of meat and poultry. The plant reports slaughtering cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb under inspection, at a volume category of under 1,000 head per year. It also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale, and retail-exempt sales.

The establishment's website states that it offers slaughter and processing of beef, pork, sheep and goats, along with private labeling and cured meats. The site lists processing price pages for beef, hogs, lamb and goat, beef and pork, carry-in and miscellaneous work, deer, and catering. Deer work is accepted as whole deer or clean boneless trim, with the site stating that whole deer or elk from out of state are no longer accepted under Missouri Department of Conservation CWD regulations, that clean boneless trim from out of state is accepted, and that deer in quarters are not accepted. The site also states that smoked sausage products are no longer made and that fresh sausage products are made.

The plant is described on its website as located about 90 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri and about 90 miles south of Des Moines, Iowa on I-35, at the Ridgeway exit 99, on the west side of the interstate. The site directs customers to call ahead to schedule beef and hogs and states that it does not ship. A secondary business directory listing describes Thomas Farm Quality Meats as formerly known as Ridgeway Freezer and as a family-owned business; the website itself does not state ownership or a founding year.

The website lists per head slaughter fees of $130.00 for beef and $120.00 for hogs under USDA-inspected and custom slaughter, with a $30.00 per head disposal fee, $100.00 per head for beef carcasses over 1,000 lb, and $80.00 per head to split into halves. Processing is charged per pound of carcass weight and includes cooling and aging of the carcass for 7 to 14 days, with longer aging at $2.00 per half per day. Cut and package in heat-sealed shrink film is listed at $0.90 per lb, with hand wrap at $1.00 per lb, grinding and tenderize or stew meat at $0.60 per lb, patties at $1.00 per lb, pork sausage at $0.80 per lb, curing and boneless ham at $1.00 per lb, rendering at $0.80 per lb, and containers at $6.00 each. Specialty product charges vary by product. The site asks customers to call ahead to schedule beef and hogs and notes prices are subject to change without notice. Separate price pages exist for lamb and goat and for carry-in work, though their contents are not on file here. The federal record shows a very small plant slaughtering under 1,000 head per year, so scheduling lead time should be confirmed by phone.

Ridgeway Freezer Inc 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 invites households that do not raise their own beef or pork to call about farm raised meat, and the plant reports retail-exempt sales to FSIS, which allows direct sales to consumers. The site states plainly that it does not ship. It also describes private labeling and a range of cured and sausage products. Retail counter hours, specific bundles, and half or quarter beef pricing for household buyers are not stated in the sources on file, so buyers should call (660) 872-6716 to confirm what is available.

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.