Posted on Feb 6, 2023
Oregon creates a new inspection program to boost state ag economy, keep meat local
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At the Intermountain Stockyard in La Grande, rancher Todd Nash watches the action as he works to sell four small cows to improve his breed stock and pay for feed. Some of the animals he’s selling today may end up in hamburgers. But in the stockyard’s canteen, he has no idea whether the burger on his plate comes from a local ranch or from New Zealand.
That’s because when cattle enter a U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected processing plant, they get sorted with animals from elsewhere. The same is true at every step of the process, from shipping to markets.
Each step in that path from farm to shelf adds value. So while Nash might get $1,000 selling one of his large cows to a neighbor, once it’s sent off to get slaughtered, cut, wrapped, frozen and put on a supermarket shelf, the animal’s total worth is more like $5,500.
That means retailers, shippers and processors receive 80% of the cows’ value – and often those companies are large, out of state, organizations.
“That money can be all captured here,” Nash said. “It could benefit our communities, especially those that have lost logging and timber and mill infrastructure.”
That’s because when cattle enter a U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected processing plant, they get sorted with animals from elsewhere. The same is true at every step of the process, from shipping to markets.
Each step in that path from farm to shelf adds value. So while Nash might get $1,000 selling one of his large cows to a neighbor, once it’s sent off to get slaughtered, cut, wrapped, frozen and put on a supermarket shelf, the animal’s total worth is more like $5,500.
That means retailers, shippers and processors receive 80% of the cows’ value – and often those companies are large, out of state, organizations.
“That money can be all captured here,” Nash said. “It could benefit our communities, especially those that have lost logging and timber and mill infrastructure.”
Oregon creates a new inspection program to boost state ag economy, keep meat local
Posted from opb.org
Food/Chow
Ranching
USDA
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 3
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been that way for a long time, to many small processers have gone out of business and only 4 or 5 large packers left, they dictate the purchase price and charge what they want for the processed animals. We need more of the family processors and less the big guys. Get the gov. of the backs of the small processors
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Cpl Vic Burk
Sgt Jim Belanus Personally I think the government wants to get rid of the small mom and pop operation of all kinds today, not just meat processors. They have little concern for the small operation. Wal-Mart alone has destroyed main street USA with their ability to mass buy paying selling the same merchandise for less than the mom and pop store can buy for.
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Sgt Jim Belanus
can't argue with that, That's the same statement my dad made in the mid 60's when we were running a grade A dairy more inspectors than you could shake a stick at. We had many small farms and most had milk cows and chickens and hogs. Now they are all gone and only a handful farm what many farmed
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."In practical terms, the current system means that, if Nash or anyone else wants to boost Oregon’s economy by buying local beef, it’s very difficult and requires an expensive work around.
Watching money leave Oregon is hard for Nash – and for regulators. That’s why the Oregon Department of Agriculture has spent $2 million to create a new Oregon meat inspection program – even though the federal government already runs an inspection program. And to process the new state inspected meat, agricultural authorities are trying to increase capacity at Oregon’s small slaughterhouses.
Passage of House Bill 2907 this session would bring in another $10 million for the new program.
Up to now, Oregon has relied on federal meat inspectors with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But Oregon only has 13 large federal inspected slaughterhouses and 36 counties. So some ranchers have to drive three hours or more, each way, to get their cattle killed and processed.
Todd Nash drives to Nampa, Idaho."...
..."In practical terms, the current system means that, if Nash or anyone else wants to boost Oregon’s economy by buying local beef, it’s very difficult and requires an expensive work around.
Watching money leave Oregon is hard for Nash – and for regulators. That’s why the Oregon Department of Agriculture has spent $2 million to create a new Oregon meat inspection program – even though the federal government already runs an inspection program. And to process the new state inspected meat, agricultural authorities are trying to increase capacity at Oregon’s small slaughterhouses.
Passage of House Bill 2907 this session would bring in another $10 million for the new program.
Up to now, Oregon has relied on federal meat inspectors with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But Oregon only has 13 large federal inspected slaughterhouses and 36 counties. So some ranchers have to drive three hours or more, each way, to get their cattle killed and processed.
Todd Nash drives to Nampa, Idaho."...
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Sounds like a good idea. I use a local processor for my cows. They do a good job from slaughter to their retail display case and the beef if grass-fed and super lean.
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