Mudpond Farm

Mudpond Farm operates at 830 Amasa Road in Dalton, Pennsylvania, in Lackawanna County. The plant holds federal establishment numbers M1591, P1591 and V1591, with a grant of inspection date on file of January 14, 2025. FSIS lists its activities as meat slaughter, meat processing, poultry processing, and voluntary slaughter and processing of meat, and classifies the establishment as very small. Species slaughtered under inspection, as reported to FSIS, are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. The slaughter volume category on file is 1, meaning under 1,000 head per year.

The federal record also shows that the establishment reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale, along with retail-exempt sales and both halal and kosher slaughter. Contact numbers differ between sources: the plant reports (570) 561-4142 to FSIS, while its website lists 570-222-6328.

The website describes Mudpond Farm as a family-owned and operated farm and butcher shop that sources meat from local farms and processes it on site. It advertises beef, pork and poultry described as pasture raised, Wagyu beef, and nationwide shipping. Downloadable and online cut sheets are offered for beef and pork. Beyond meat, the site describes a seasonal U-pick operation with blueberries, tomatoes, pumpkins and fall vegetables. A Wagyu page references eight years of expertise, though no founding year is stated.

The federal record shows Mudpond Farm reports custom-exempt slaughter, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale, in addition to slaughter under federal inspection of cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. It is a very small plant with a reported slaughter volume category of under 1,000 head per year. The website offers beef and pork cut sheets that can be downloaded as PDFs or completed online. Booking procedures, lead times, minimums, hanging weight fees and cut and wrap rates are not stated in the sources on file. Poultry processing is listed with FSIS, but the sources do not say whether poultry is slaughtered for outside customers.

Mudpond 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 website describes a butcher shop at the farm selling beef, pork and poultry, with Wagyu beef, steaks, roasts, ground meat, bacon, smoked hams, sausages, snack sticks and jerky named among the offerings. Nationwide shipping is advertised, and a customer review mentions picking up a half of beef, though bulk pricing and bundle details are not stated. The site directs buyers to call about Wagyu availability. Seasonal U-pick blueberries, tomatoes, pumpkins and fall vegetables are also offered. No online store checkout or delivery service is described in the sources.

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.