Local Cuts Meat Company

Local Cuts Meat Company operates at 3024 FM 1467 South in Zephyr, Brown County, Texas, under USDA FSIS establishment number M47742. The federal record lists the plant for both meat slaughter and meat processing, with a grant of inspection dated January 5, 2022. FSIS classifies the establishment as very small, and its reported slaughter volume falls in the lowest category, under 1,000 head per year. Species reported slaughtered under inspection are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale, and it reports retail-exempt sales.

The company website describes a facility built new by its founders and focuses its published material on beef. It states the operation serves local producers seeking broader distribution, ranchers, restaurants, retailers, and specialty food service companies. The website credits Mike Crawford, described as a local rancher and beef producer with more than 25 years of experience dealing with other processors, and Pam Watkins, also described as a local rancher and producer with a background as a former executive. The site says they built their own processing operation after being dissatisfied with service and options from other processors.

Note the difference in scope between the two sources. The federal record shows cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb slaughtered under inspection, while the website's public pages describe beef processing and a beef-focused service list. A separate website page refers to a meat market with meats cut fresh daily, and the FAQ page includes a question about whether the company sells anything other than beef in its market, though the answer text is not in the material on file.

The website is aimed largely at ranchers and producers. It says processing slots are confirmed with the company directly and that package sizes, labeling, steak thickness, and value-added products can be tailored. The FAQ page lists questions about confirming a slot, moving or canceling a processing date, working with individual cut sheets supplied by a producer's own beef customers, putting a producer's logo on packages, supplying primals to restaurants, processing Texas Longhorns and whether special fees apply, expected packaged yield, and help maneuvering a trailer on arrival. The answers to those questions are not included in the text on file, so prices, minimums, lead times, and fee details are not stated here. Under the federal record the plant is inspected for slaughter of cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb, and it also reports custom-exempt slaughter for customer-owned animals. Producers should call to confirm species accepted, scheduling, and current availability.

Local Cuts Meat Company 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's FAQ page indicates the company will address individuals who raise cattle for family and friends, buyers who want a half or whole and need to be connected with a rancher or producer, and people who want local beef without buying in bulk. A market page states that meats are cut fresh daily at the facility and invites customers to stop in. The specific answers, product lists, prices, bundles, delivery, shipping, and online ordering are not stated in the material 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.