Strengthening Local Food Systems: A Q&A with The Local Butcher
Farmers and food businesses alike are facing consistent setbacks resulting from recent federal actions. Multiple approaches can be taken to support local businesses, like The Local Butcher. We had the opportunity to chat with the Meeks family of the Athens, Ohio-based meat processing plant.
Read on to learn about how policy can lead to much-needed investments for The Local Butcher, our local communities, and our local food systems.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your family, and The Local Butcher.
The Meeks Family has a long-standing tradition in agriculture. Jenna Meeks, an agriculture teacher at Southern Local in Meigs County, grew up participating in 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), continuing the family tradition by raising and showing beef cattle at local and state competitions. Chase Meeks received his Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science with a minor in Meat Science from The Ohio State University while working at the meat lab and perfecting his skills.
Chase’s goal, as a young adult, was to own a butcher shop. Kenny and Rhonda Meeks, Jenna and Chase’s parents, have helped bring the family’s dream to reality by providing support. Kenny, along with others, spent over a year preparing and upgrading a butcher shop on Pleasant Hill Road that had been closed for several years. In 2020, The Local Butcher in Athens County, Ohio, opened up, and Chase’s dream became a reality.
Currently, Chase manages five employees. Jenna uses her business, advertising, and social media skills to build the business. Rhonda, as a retired educator, is passionate about educating others and helping out wherever she is needed, and Kenny does the everyday maintenance and smoking of the meat. The Local Butcher is a dream come true for this family.
How is The Local Butcher’s approach unique, and why is your company important to the Athens community?
The Local Butcher’s approach is unique because it focuses on providing high-quality, locally sourced meat products that cater to the specific needs and preferences of the Athens community. By maintaining smaller operations, The Local Butcher ensures greater oversight in processing, which enhances product quality. This approach supports the local economy by creating jobs and aiding local farmers. The Local Butcher fosters strong business relationships with their constituents, providing personal attention. Chase can hand-cut steaks to specification, and sausages and brats can be seasoned with a wide variety of seasonings to suit customer preferences. This fosters innovation in product offerings to meet the evolving tastes of the community.
Additionally, The Local Butcher supports nonprofits by giving back to the community through monetary and food donations. The Local Butcher is able to provide necessary proteins to disadvantaged families with funding available through Rural Action’s Farm to Food Pantry project.
🔎 LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS FORMER PROJECT
Rural Action’s Farm to Food Pantry project was previously funded through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA), known in Ohio as Ohio CAN, which has now been terminated by the federal government. The Local Butcher was able to provide meat for food banks through the program one final time in late-June, before the current contract year ended on June 30.
Rural Action’s Food Access Manager, Shane Benton, shared that in Appalachian Ohio, nearly 100 farms and food businesses were supported by the LFPA funding and no longer have that market for their goods. Benton expressed that it is not often that you get situations that are a win-win-win, and LFPA/Ohio CAN did just that. “The farmers win, the pantry clients win, the volunteers who facilitate also win,” he said.
What are some of the challenges faced by small meat and poultry processing plants like yours?
Small meat and poultry processing plants, like The Local Butcher, face several challenges that impact their everyday operations and sustainability. In an industry in which four companies, Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and Marfrig (National Beef), control most of the meat market, small slaughterhouses struggle to compete.
Limited access to capital hinders their ability to upgrade equipment, expand facilities, and improve product quality. Competing with larger facilities for grants is difficult, as the large facilities can afford to hire grant writers, which is often out of reach for smaller processors. Navigating complex and stringent regulations can be overwhelming, making compliance both difficult and costly. Small processors also struggle to compete with larger operations for market access, limiting their ability to connect with retailers and consumers. Inadequate transportation further restricts their ability to move and market products outside their facility. Additionally, finding and retaining skilled labor is challenging, impacting the consistency and quality of their products.
🔎 LEARN MORE FROM ONE OF THE LOCAL BUTCHER’S CUSTOMERS
The Local Butcher is currently a state-inspected facility, but not for smoked meats. They are unable to support the growing demand of local farmers, especially hog farmers and businesses, due to this fact. Upgrading this system would allow them to sell smoked meat to restaurants, businesses, and through their retail store. It would also enable The Local Butcher to do smoked meat for their inspected butchering customers, like Molly Sowash of MoSo Farm. Currently, Sowash is forced to use another butcher that is an hour away, requiring her to take the farm’s money outside of the county. Sowash shared that, “If The Local Butcher could receive the funding support to license their smoker, MoSo Farm could bring them a lot of business—around 100 hogs per year. And we are not the only customers of The Local Butcher who have this need for inspected meat!”
How could policy support small-scale meat processing?
Policies can provide grants, subsidies, or low-interest loans to small meat processing facilities. This financial support can help The Local Butcher upgrade equipment, expand operations, and improve product quality. Simplifying and reducing regulatory burdens can make it easier for small processors, such as The Local Butcher, to comply with necessary standards without being overwhelmed by bureaucracy. Investment in infrastructure, such as upgraded smoking equipment, can enhance the efficiency and reach of small-scale processors.
Policies can also facilitate better market access for small processors by promoting local sourcing and creating opportunities for them to connect with local retailers and consumers. Providing training programs and educational resources can help small processors improve their skills, adopt best practices, and stay updated with industry trends. Supporting research and innovation in meat processing can lead to the development of new technologies and methods that small processors can adopt to stay competitive.
🔎 LEARN MORE ABOUT EXISTING AND POTENTIAL POLICY SOLUTIONS
There are many local development opportunities, like LFPA, that we have seen halted recently. For instance, The Local Butcher was also working to get a Business Builder Grant through the Appalachia Regional Food Business Center (ARFBC) to support local farmers and producers by scaling up their business. However, the ARFBC funds were frozen, and on July 15, the USDA terminated the program and ended the 12 Regional Food Business Centers.
However, the Strengthening Local Processing Act (SLPA) (introduced by Senators Thune (R-SD) and Smith (D-MN) and Representatives Pingree (D-ME) and Baird (R-IN) would address some critical supply chain issues by investing in economic development, supporting small meat and poultry processing plants, and promoting training programs. Overall, this bipartisan marker bill showcases the need to support local farm communities in their production and retailing of food. We await the passage of a full farm bill to meaningfully infuse support for local meat processors.
What role does local meat processing play in a resilient local food system and what can organizations and communities do to support local meat processing?
Localized meat products better serve community needs and cater to consumer preferences for local sourcing. Smaller operations enhance product quality through greater oversight. This approach supports the local economy by creating jobs and aiding local farmers, and adapts to consumer trends, fostering innovation in product offerings.
Organizations and communities can support local meat processing by promoting local sourcing, providing financial support, fostering partnerships, educating consumers, advocating for policy changes, and encouraging innovation. These steps help create a resilient and sustainable local food system.