On-Farm Processing

Learn to process your own livestock so you can adapt to changing economic landscapes and gain a marketable skill for future farming endeavors.

By Amyrose Foll
Updated on September 10, 2024
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by Adobestock/bit24

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No matter where you are in your farm or homestead journey — from being “agricurious” and exploring your options to working a full-scale commercial farm — you’ll likely find it necessary to process your own livestock. It’s both a practical and marketable skill to carry into the future of your farming life. Your processing setup and style can be anything from bare-bones to elaborate, depending on your needs and end goals for your operation.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we all experienced the fragility of the food system and how it can profoundly impact our daily lives. For many consumers, it meant limited amounts of certain products. For farmers and ranchers, it meant shutdowns and order backups at processing facilities across the nation. Many farmers dealt with the urgent need to offload livestock because of the upended supply chain. These bottlenecks affected both large- and small-scale processors and brought economic hardship to the farmers who used them, and they affected our dinner plates too.

Audio Article

With a little planning, you can set yourself up to easily adapt to any situation that may arise. No matter which path you choose, learning to butcher can be a wonderful way to complete the circle of farm life, and can gift you the satisfaction of meeting the needs of your farm business.

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