More Options For Small Farms
Even though tens of thousands of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations exist in this country, some small meat producing farms are finding new ways to continue doing what they do.
Thanks to mobile slaughterhouses, Vermont farmers may find it easier to get their safe, healthy, and humanely raised meat to the tables of their customers.
Vermont's legislature has recently approved of a mobile-processing unit that travels between farms. This 32-foot trailer is run by George Eisenhardt, former owner of Green Mountain Meats butchering business. In the trailer is a killing room, scalding pot, and processing area that can butcher 500 chickens in a single day.
All The Benefits
This unit saves farmers from having to pay to ship their livestock out of state to have it processed and saves them the time of transporting the animals. Additionally, it is less stressful for the animals because they do not have to be shipped.
Because bringing the slaughterhouse to the farm is more cost effective, this mobile unit could help small farmers increase the amount of animals they raise. Consequently, this might also help them make more profits and stay in business.
Finally, butchering on sight spreads animal waste and returns it to the soil instead of collecting it in one facility where there will be greater probability of it spreading pollution and disease.