Acre Station Meat Farm

Acre Station Meat Farm operates at 17076 Hwy 32 N in Pinetown, Beaufort County, North Carolina, under USDA establishment numbers M19904 and P19904. The federal record lists meat slaughter, meat processing, and poultry processing activities, a Very Small size class, and a grant of inspection date on file of July 29, 2021. Species slaughtered under inspection as reported to FSIS are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb, with a slaughter volume category of 2.0. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale.

The establishment combines a processing plant with a retail store and a grill. Its website describes a small processing facility specializing in custom processing for pork, beef, lamb, and goat, work done in a butcher shop atmosphere with fresh cuts, sausage making, and smoking with real hickory sawdust. The site states the operation is Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) and USDA inspected, and that order traceability is tracked with software called Vista Trac. Note that the website lists goat among the species it processes, while the species reported to FSIS for slaughter are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb.

On the retail side, the website describes fresh meats and grocery products, with specialties in fresh pork, beef, fresh and smoked sausage, seasoning meats, fresh frozen vegetables, sauces, and marinades, and states the shop will cut to order. An online store ships to customers, with perishables quick frozen and shipped by FedEx Ground or FedEx Express in styrofoam coolers with frozen gel packs. Seasonal deer processing is also offered. The website names Ronnie Huettmann as president and shipping director and refers to the Huettmann Family. Two phone numbers appear: FSIS lists (252) 927-3700, which the website assigns to processing and slaughtering, while (252) 927-3489 and toll free 1-866-462-2763 are listed for the retail store. Portions of the website text contain unrelated injected spam content, which has been disregarded here.

The website states that the plant offers custom processing under USDA inspection for pork and beef, and describes custom processing for pork, beef, lamb, and goat for farmers and individuals who raise animals. Posted rates include pork slaughter at $1.15 per pound with a $35.00 minimum charge or $0.35 per pound on dressed weight, plus an $85.00 handling fee and $0.35 per pound on dressed weight for pigs over 380 pounds live weight. Pork processing is $0.30 per pound for ground pork and $0.40 per pound for sausage. Beef slaughter is $110.00 per animal for cattle under 30 months and $150.00 per animal for cattle over 30 months, with a $30.00 disposal fee for intestines and spinal column on over-30-month beef only; customers are encouraged to supply records showing cattle age. Beef processing runs $1.39 per pound on dressed weight bone-in, $1.59 with boneless steaks, $1.89 for boneless chuck or shoulder, flat iron, stir fry, and kabobs, and $0.30 per pound for grinding burger. Lamb and goat slaughter is a flat $49.00 with processing at $1.79 per pound dressed weight. Further processing charges listed include salting at $0.99 per pound, rendering lard at $2.25 per pound (150 lb minimum for cooking fat into lard), pinky links at $2.09 per pound, six inch links at $1.25 per pound, and smoked sausage at $1.69 per pound with nitrite or $2.89 without. Orders are vacuum packed with heavy bone guard bags. The site instructs customers to call to schedule slaughtering and notes that lead time can vary throughout the year. Processing and slaughtering hours are listed as Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 2:00 pm, at (252) 927-3700.

Acre Station Meat Farm 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 in Pinetown sells fresh meats and grocery products and states it will cut to order, under the slogan Fresh Cuts, Friendly Service. Retail store hours are listed as Monday through Saturday 6:30 am to 6:00 pm, closed Sunday, with the meat department open Monday through Saturday 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. In-store freezer specials are described as pickup only. An online store is offered, with the website stating that orders ship second day and that perishable items such as fresh meats, smoked meats, and frozen items are quick frozen and shipped by FedEx Ground or FedEx Express in a styrofoam cooler with frozen gel packs, with a packing material fee added and $5.00 for three extra gel packs. Non-perishable items ship flat rate by USPS at $9.50 to $22.95. The site states a final invoice is emailed before the credit card is charged and asks customers to confirm or cancel within 24 hours. Orders and questions can be handled at 1-866-462-2763, listed as staffed Monday through Friday 7:30 am to 1:00 pm EST. The website does not state whether halves or quarters are sold to households. Deer processing is accepted from September 12 to January 17, with a state-required harvest ID number, no skin-on deer, and a 20 pound boneless minimum for each ground item selected when more than one is chosen and 40 pounds of boneless deer meat required for smoked sausages.

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.