Husker Meats LLC

Husker Meats LLC operates at 740 Old Highway 7 in Ainsworth, Brown County, Nebraska, under establishment numbers M47014, P47014 and V47014. FSIS lists the plant for Meat Processing, Meat Slaughter, Voluntary Processing of Meat and Rabbit, and Voluntary Slaughter of Meat and Rabbit, with a grant of inspection dated July 23, 2021. It is classed as Very Small, and its reported slaughter volume falls in the lowest FSIS category, under 1,000 head per year. Species reported slaughtered under inspection are cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, bison, and elk or deer. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are returned in packages marked Not for Sale, and retail-exempt sales.

The company website describes Husker Meats as a federally inspected custom processing facility and an extension of Pinney Ranch, a family cattle operation started over fifty years ago by Ron and Jean Pinney and located 22 miles south of Wood Lake, Nebraska. Jim Pinney is named as owner and operator. The site states the business raises its own animals and manufactures products in house for traceability, describes cattle as hormone and antibiotic free and raised on open range under regenerative practices, and says all retail meat is federally inspected and E. coli tested. Cuts are vacuum sealed. The site also notes the facility primarily sources from surrounding Nebraska counties, though one headline line refers to custom beef, hog and lamb processing from Cherry County while the plant address recorded with FSIS is in Brown County.

Beyond beef, pork and lamb work, the website lists a broad set of smoked, cured and sausage items, and describes a Ground Beef Lunch Program supplying locally sourced ground beef to schools in the region, naming Ainsworth, Anselmo-Merna, Atkinson, Bassett, Burwell, Chambers, Cody-Kilgore, Hyannis, Mullen, Sandhills-Dunning, Springview, Stapleton, Thedford and Valentine schools. The site claims 10 or more years serving Nebraska; the federal grant of inspection on file dates to 2021. Fees, scheduling lead times and booking procedures are not stated in the sources on file.

Husker Meats reports both federally inspected slaughter and custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, so animals owned by a customer can be returned in packages marked Not for Sale. Species reported slaughtered under inspection are cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, bison, and elk or deer, and the plant also holds voluntary slaughter and processing activity for rabbit. Reported slaughter volume is in the lowest FSIS band, under 1,000 head per year, which is consistent with the Very Small size class. The website describes the operation as custom beef, hog and lamb processing and notes that the company raises many of its own animals through Pinney Ranch and sources primarily from surrounding Nebraska counties. Booking windows, scheduling lead times, kill fees, per-pound cut and wrap rates and hanging weight terms are not stated in the sources on file. Farmers should call (402) 382-3663 to confirm current availability.

Husker Meats 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 website states that all retail meat is federally inspected and E. coli tested, and that the business sells by bundle, whole, half, quarter, or individual pieces, with every cut vacuum sealed. Listed items span beef and pork cuts plus smoked, cured and specialty sausage products, including several bacon and bratwurst varieties and cheese add-ons. Cattle are described as hormone and antibiotic free and raised on open range. The site directs buyers to stop in, call, or use its products and pricing page; specific prices, online checkout, shipping and home delivery terms are not stated in the sources on file, other than a Facebook mention of a T-bone special at $9.99 a pound.

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.