Homestead Butchering

Homestead Butchering operates at 87 Wintersville Road in Richland, Berks County, Pennsylvania, under USDA establishment number M3450. The federal record lists the plant for both Meat Slaughter and Meat Processing, with a grant of inspection date of October 17, 2025. FSIS classifies the plant as Very Small, and its reported slaughter volume falls in the lowest category, under 1,000 head per year. Species slaughtered under inspection, as reported to FSIS, are cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, and goats.

The plant's website describes it as PA Homestead Butchering LLC, a family owned and run USDA-certified butcher shop with an all new facility that opened in mid-September. The site states the business handles beef and pork processing, describes itself as ideal for direct market farmers, and also offers custom, uninspected butchering. That matches the federal record, which shows both custom-exempt slaughter, where packages are marked Not for Sale, and retail-exempt sales.

Contact details differ between sources. FSIS lists a phone number of (717) 371-8919, while the website lists (717) 970-5077 and the email john@pahomesteadbutchering.com. Pricing figures are not readable in the material on file, and no information about shipping, retail counter stock, or booking lead times is stated.

The website states the shop handles beef and pork processing and is ideal for direct market farmers, and that custom, uninspected butchering is also offered. Under the federal record, the plant slaughters cattle, hogs, sheep and lamb, and goats under inspection, and also reports custom-exempt slaughter in which the animal remains the customer's property and the packages are marked Not for Sale. Cut sheets are submitted through the website, which publishes example yield lists for beef quarters, halves, and wholes and for half and whole hogs, based on 1 inch steaks, 3 lb roasts, and 3/4 inch pork chops. The site notes that beef hanging weights from 400 lb to 1,200 lb are not uncommon and that yields vary greatly by animal. Booking procedures, scheduling lead times, minimums, kill fees, and per pound cut and wrap charges are not stated in the material on file; the pricing page text on file does not include readable prices.

Homestead Butchering 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, and the website describes it as a butcher shop offering hand-selected meats sourced from trusted farms. Households buying a quarter, half, or whole beef, or a half or whole hog, from a farmer can review the published example cut lists and submit cutting instructions through the website. Whether the shop maintains a stocked retail case, sells bundles directly, or offers delivery or shipping is 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.