Willow Creek Meats

Willow Creek Meats is a very small USDA-inspected establishment in McCook, Nebraska, operating under establishment number M5660 at 77178 US Hwy 83 in Red Willow County. The plant reports both meat slaughter and meat processing activities to FSIS, with cattle and hogs listed as the species slaughtered under inspection. Its FSIS slaughter volume category is 1, meaning under 1,000 head per year.

The federal record also shows that the plant conducts custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale, and that it reports retail-exempt sales. That combination means a single facility handles inspected work, customer-owned custom work, and direct retail sales, as listed in the federal record.

Search listings describe Willow Creek Meats as a meat processor specializing in Nebraska beef and offering custom beef and pork processing, and one listing gives the address as 71178 US-83 rather than the 77178 US Hwy 83 on file with FSIS. The website on file points to the McCook Chamber of Commerce member directory rather than a site operated by the plant, so no first-party description of hours, pricing, booking, or product list is available. Details beyond the federal record and these third-party listings are not yet on file.

The federal record lists cattle and hogs as the species slaughtered under inspection, and the plant reports custom-exempt slaughter, so producers can have their own animals processed with packages marked Not for Sale. FSIS classifies the establishment as very small with a slaughter volume category of 1, under 1,000 head per year, which suggests limited annual capacity. Booking procedures, lead times, minimums, kill fees, hang time, and cut and wrap charges are not stated in any source on file, so a producer should call (308) 345-5029 to confirm scheduling and terms.

Willow Creek 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 plant reports retail-exempt sales to FSIS, which is consistent with meat sold directly to household customers, and third-party listings describe it as a processor specializing in Nebraska beef with custom beef and pork processing. Whether a retail counter is staffed, whether halves and quarters or bundles are sold, and whether delivery, shipping, or online ordering are available are not stated 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.