Off the Rail Butchery

Off the Rail Butchery, doing business as The Blair Meat Market, operates at 312 N. 16th Street in Blair, Nebraska, in Washington County. The establishment holds FSIS establishment numbers M46292, P46292, and V46292, and is listed with FSIS activities covering meat processing, meat slaughter, poultry processing, and voluntary meat processing and slaughter. FSIS classifies the plant as very small, with a grant of inspection date on file of December 2, 2021, and a slaughter volume category of under 1,000 head per year. Species slaughtered under inspection as reported to FSIS 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, retail-exempt sales, and halal slaughter.

The business website describes Blair Meat Market as a family business that got its start in 2014, states that everything sold is produced in house, and says the operation has been a fully inspected USDA facility since 2018. The plant's grant of inspection date on file with FSIS is December 2, 2021, so the two dates differ. The site states the facility is fully USDA inspected and that, upon request, it can slaughter and process customer animals under federal inspection. Orders and appointments are handled by phone or in person at the store.

Alongside processing, the storefront functions as a retail market. The website describes deli meats made in house, party and finger food trays, retail meat cases, and locally sourced items including farm fresh eggs, cheese and goat cheese, spices, sauces, salts, and in-season produce, as well as beer and spirits from local and national brands. Customer reviews reproduced on the site mention steaks cut to order, ground beef, smoked pulled pork, beef sticks, and hog processing that included breakfast sausage, cured bacon, and ham.

The website states the facility is fully USDA inspected and that, upon request, it can slaughter and process customer animals under federal inspection. FSIS also lists custom-exempt slaughter, meaning animals owned by the customer can be processed with packages marked Not for Sale. Species slaughtered under inspection as reported to FSIS are cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, and bison, and the plant reports halal slaughter. Scheduling as listed on the website: beef appointments every Monday and Friday, pork appointments every Wednesday of the month. The contact form lists beef, pork, and lamb processing as service options. Appointments are booked by phone at (402) 426-3300 or in person. Booking lead times, minimums, hanging weight fees, cut and wrap charges, and kill floor capacity are not stated in the sources. FSIS places annual slaughter volume under 1,000 head, so capacity is limited.

Off the Rail Butchery 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 storefront at 312 N. 16th Street carries retail meats, in-house deli meats, and party or finger food trays, and the site notes inventory is updated and restocked regularly. The market also stocks local items including farm fresh eggs, cheese and goat cheese, spices, sauces, and in-season produce, plus beer and spirits from local and nationwide brands. One posted special lists armadillo eggs at $3.00 per pound. Orders are placed by phone or in the store. The sources do not mention online ordering, shipping, delivery, or bundled halves and quarters for retail sale.

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.