Local Meat Production: Can We Compete?

In an article published last Wednesday in the Washington Post the discussion of local meat production resurfaces. Seen as one of the toughest obstacles in the local food movement, meat production has become an increasingly emotional topic, as E. coli food poisoning outbreaks and hamburger recalls have had even the more trusting consumers on edge. With this in mind the article delves head first into a discussion of alternatives: small, locally owned slaughterhouses.

Featured in the article are several families and entrepreneurs who have set out to "right the wrongs," so to speak, of the industrial meat market. Bev Eggleston, owner of EcoFriendly Foods in Moneta, Virginia, is quoted: "The food system is broken and dysfunctional, so we had to start building our own."

Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Inc. and now-famous local foods advocate (you may recognize him from Michael Pollan's book Omnivore's Dilemma), is also quoted in the article, making it clear that the processing and distribution of meat are by-far the "two biggest hurdles in the local food movement."

These voices, and others, make a compelling article not only for small slaughterhouses, but also for a meat market that connects producers more directly with consumers.

Check out the full article here for the whole discussion, it is well-worth the read, and raises some interesting questions about the obstacles that remain for the local food movement.

And as always, let us know what you're thinking!