North Dakota State University Meat Laboratory

North Dakota State University Meat Laboratory operates under USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service establishment number M7627+P7627 at the Animal and Range Sciences Department, 1300 18th St N, Fargo, North Dakota, in Cass County. The federal record lists meat slaughter, meat processing, and poultry processing activities, with a grant of inspection date on file of January 15, 2019. FSIS classifies the plant in its Very Small size class, and its reported slaughter volume category is under 1,000 head per year.

Species slaughtered under inspection, as reported to FSIS, are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. The establishment also reports custom-exempt slaughter, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale, and it reports retail-exempt sales. Secondary directory listings give the address as 1350 Albrecht Blvd, Fargo, which differs from the street address in the federal record; both are associated with the Animal and Range Sciences Department on the university campus.

A March 7, 2024 FSIS letter to Establishment M7627 concerning a Notice of Suspension Held in Abeyance appears in the agency's public document files. No website is on file for this establishment, and details beyond the federal record, including hours, pricing, booking practices, and retail offerings, are not yet on file.

The federal record lists cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb as species slaughtered under inspection, and the establishment reports custom-exempt slaughter of customer-owned animals with packages marked Not for Sale. FSIS places the plant in its smallest volume category, under 1,000 head per year, so capacity is limited. Booking procedures, scheduling lead times, minimums, kill and cut fees, and cut and wrap options are not stated in any source on file. Farmers should contact the laboratory at (701) 231-8107 to confirm what work is being accepted, as listed.

North Dakota State University Meat Laboratory 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 establishment reports retail-exempt sales to FSIS, which indicates some direct sales activity, but no source on file describes a retail counter, product list, bundles, halves or quarters, online ordering, delivery, or shipping. Households should call (701) 231-8107 to ask what is available.

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.