Big Sky Processing, LLC

Big Sky Processing, LLC operates at 181 Cut Above Loop in Moore, Montana, in Fergus County, under USDA FSIS establishment numbers M46090 and V46090. The federal record lists meat slaughter and meat processing, plus voluntary slaughter and voluntary processing of meat, with a grant of inspection dated November 22, 2022. FSIS classifies the plant as very small and places its slaughter volume in the lowest category, under 1,000 head per year. Species reported slaughtered under inspection are cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, and bison. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and packaged marked Not for Sale, and reports retail-exempt sales.

The website on file describes Big Sky Processing as the separate sister company of Big Sky Meats, a retail store at the same address just outside Lewistown. The processing side is described as serving local ranchers with custom work on beef, bison, pork, lamb, goat, and wild game, while the retail side sells beef, pork, lamb, and buffalo raised on Montana ranches. The About Us page states the business is owned by Nicole Wines, who began a cattle brokering business in central Montana in 1998 and later purchased a processing plant and started the operation outside Lewistown. Note that goat and wild game appear on the website but are not among the species reported to FSIS as slaughtered under inspection.

Contact numbers differ across sources. FSIS lists (406) 220-3329 for the establishment. The website lists (406) 374-2263 and retail@bigskymeats.shop for the Big Sky Meats retail store and (406) 224-2102 with bigskyprocessingllc@gmail.com for Big Sky Processing, and the processing page directs appointment calls to 406-224-2102. Listings are as recorded; no claim is made here about current openings or capacity.

The website states that Big Sky Processing provides custom processing to the local community for beef, bison, pork, lamb, goat, and wild game, and that appointments are made by calling 406-224-2102. Posted beef terms are a $100 per head deposit, slaughter at $185.00 per head for a 1000 pound carcass plus $100, kill and chill at $300, cut and wrap at $1.20 per pound vacuum packed on hanging weight, quartering at $25 per quarter, and hamburger patties at an additional $1 per pound in 12 pound boxes or $1.50 per pound vacuum packed. Bison is listed at a $100 per head deposit, $225 per head slaughter for a 1000 pound carcass plus $100, $300 kill and chill, and the same cut and wrap and patty terms. Pork is listed at a $50 per head deposit, $110 per head slaughter, $175 kill and chill, and $1.10 per pound cut and wrap on hanging weight, with sausage links at $1 per pound, cured and smoked sausage links at $2 per pound and $2.99 per pound as listed, two hams at $40, and two slabs of bacon at $30. Lamb and goat are listed at a $50 per head deposit, $110 per head slaughter, $145 kill and chill, and $1.10 per pound cut and wrap. Wild game cut and wrap is $1.30 per pound with skinning available, and smoked products and jerky prices vary. Extra dry aging is $15 per carcass per day and long-term freezer storage is $1.50 per box per day, paid monthly or before pickup. Customers are notified by text or email when an order is ready and have eight business days to pick up before storage fees apply; the site states that after 16 business days with no communication the business may repossess and dispose of the product. Pickups are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. FSIS places the plant in the lowest slaughter volume category, under 1,000 head per year. Scheduling lead times and minimums are not stated in the sources.

Big Sky Processing, 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 retail store, operating as Big Sky Meats at 181 Cut Above Loop in Moore, sells retail cuts and a full line of smokehouse products, in singles or bundles, along with pet products. An online shop is offered through the website, including a Box of Beef promotion. Whole, half, and quarter beef come from the sister processing company and can be customized. Posted approximate figures are: quarter beef about $900 with a $250 deposit, roughly 100 pounds of meat, about 20 steaks, 8 to 10 roasts, and around 40 pounds of ground beef; half beef about $1,700 with a $500 deposit, roughly 200 pounds, about 36 steaks, 12 to 14 roasts, and around 80 pounds of ground beef; whole beef about $3,200 with a $900 deposit, roughly 400 pounds, about 75 steaks, 25 to 30 roasts, and around 160 pounds of ground beef. The site notes price may vary depending on hanging weight. Delivery and shipping are not mentioned 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.