Wholesome Foods, Inc.

Wholesome Foods, Inc. operates at 986 South Ox Rd. in Edinburg, Shenandoah County, Virginia, under USDA establishment numbers M7906 and P857. The federal record lists meat processing, meat slaughter, and poultry processing activities, a Small size class, and a grant of inspection date of July 23, 2021. The plant reports both custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and packages are marked Not for Sale, and retail-exempt sales. Species detail is not reported to FSIS.

The company website describes a business founded in 1964 by Dean and Syvilla Pence as a home delivery route for poultry, meat, and eggs in the Washington, D.C. area, later expanding into poultry cutting, wholesale distribution, private label products, bottled water, transportation and logistics, used cooking oil collection, and truck repair. The site states the company became an approved USDA-inspected plant in 1965, added USDA processing for beef, pork, and lamb with USDA label and custom-exempt (not for sale) options in 2021, and began construction of a USDA and custom meat processing slaughterhouse in spring 2025. Leadership listed includes Wes Pence as president, Nathan Pence as vice president, and Kay Sims as plant manager.

Retail is handled through the Wholesome Butcher & Deli, with an outlet store at the Edinburg plant and a second store at 465 W Reservoir Rd. in Woodstock, Virginia, opened in 2021. The website also describes wholesale distribution to stores, restaurants, chains, hotels, conference centers, and schools across Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and the Washington, D.C. area, plus online ordering with nationwide shipping and local home delivery. Terms for farmers bringing animals, such as booking windows, minimums, fees, or cut and wrap details, are not stated in the sources on file.

The federal record shows Wholesome Foods reports meat slaughter and custom-exempt slaughter, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale, alongside USDA-inspected processing. The company website states that in 2021 it added USDA processing for beef, pork, and lamb with both USDA label and custom-exempt options, and that construction on a USDA and custom meat processing slaughterhouse began in spring 2025. Species accepted are not reported to FSIS, and the sources do not state booking lead times, kill day schedules, minimums, hanging weight fees, cut and wrap pricing, or whether custom work is being accepted. Farmers would need to contact the plant at (540) 984-8219 to confirm current custom slaughter and processing arrangements.

Wholesome Foods, Inc. 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.

Households can buy at the Wholesome Butcher & Deli, with an outlet store at the Edinburg plant, 986 South Ox Rd., and a second store at 465 W Reservoir Rd. in Woodstock, Virginia, in the Walmart shopping center. The website describes fresh cut and packaged meats, cheeses, and deli items, USDA Choice Certified Angus Beef, Old Dominion cooked country ham, burgers, fresh fried chicken, breakfast sandwiches, subs, and Virginia's Best / Shenandoah Rain bottled water. Orders can be placed online for store pick-up, local home delivery from the Country Deli and Butcher Shop, or mail order shipping anywhere in the U.S. Bulk options such as halves and quarters or freezer bundles are not mentioned 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.