1. Custom Slaughter/Processing
Custom mobile units have been permitted in the past in New York. However, unless animals are
being processed the same day that they are field harvested, or the farm has its own cooler
facilities for hanging carcasses, the mobile units may actually result in more back and forth
transportation than a stationary plant. The animals are normally field harvested and then
transported back to the mobile unit’s docking station where they are hung in a refrigerated truck.
After hanging, they are moved to the mobile processing unit for cutting and packaging, and then
transferred to a freezer truck for return to the consumer. The mobile processing unit has similar
facilities to those required for a 20-C mobile red meat processing unit. The unit needs to be
inspected by the state (under contract with USDA FSIS) for prior approval. The owner of the
animal must take possession of the meat/meat products, which are limited to their personal use
and must be marked “not for sale.”
See Cornerstone Farm Ventures, http://cornerstone-farm.com/.
2. Retail Meat Processing (20-C)
The New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets interprets the definition of places and
establishments where animals or poultry are processed for food in the NY Agriculture & Markets
(NYSDAM) Law to include mobile processing units. Therefore, a farmer may get livestock
inspected and passed at a USDA federally inspected slaughterhouse and properly transport the
meat back to the farm for further processing under the farmer’s own 20-C retail meat processing
license at an on-site mobile unit previously approved for 20-C red meat processing. The
restrictions for marketing the resulting meat products are identical to those for USDA inspected
meat processed at a stationary 20-facility.
One such 20-C mobile processing unit operated under the name “Cowboy Custom Processing” in
Schoharie County, NY. The unit was an 8’ x 24’enclosed trailer that could be pulled by a ¾-ton
pickup truck. It included a saw, mixer, grinder, cutting tables, three-bay sink, programmable
scale, and wrapping equipment. The owner, Eric Shelley, provided all labor other than
installation of the refrigeration system. The whole unit cost “not much more than a new truck”
and was partially funded through a low-interest loan from the county Industrial Development
Agency (IDA). The unit serviced at least four farms operating under individual 20-C licenses.
Several of these farms expanded their markets enough to eventually build their own stationary
20-C establishments. Similar to mobile poultry plants, a complete time-consuming cleanup of the
unit was required between uses by different farms. Thus, its efficiency increased as the number
of animals processed per farm visit increased.
The conditions that the 20-C licensee and the mobile unit operator must meet are listed below in
a NYSDAM publication identified as FSI-1120 (01/05).
Mobile Retail Meat Processing Unit Protocol
Establishments intending to utilize a mobile retail meat-processing unit must adhere to the
following guidelines:
1. Establishment operators shall arrange to meet with the NYSDAM FSI Zone Supervising
Inspector or Regional Chief Inspector to discuss their plans for their mobile retail meat
processing unit. The establishment operator shall submit a floor plan of their proposed operations
to the Zone Supervisor prior to the meeting. The unit floor plan shall include but not be limited
to the following:
• Dimensions of the unit
• Location of equipment, hand wash sink, and washing and sanitizing sinks within
the unit.
• Location of refrigeration equipment.
Location of hot water and wastewater storage facilities.
• Location of entrance/exit.
• License number of vehicle(s)
Note: Potable water source and discharge of wastewater must be approved in writing by the
appropriate county or state health department.
2. The mobile retail meat processing unit may operate only at an establishment/farm inspected
and licensed by the Department of Agriculture and Markets, pursuant to the regulations of
Article 20-C, of the Agriculture and Markets Law.
3. Only after review of the establishment/farm’s facilities, including access to a toilet facility, the
Department may consider a facility variance from certain requirements, provided the mobile unit
has met Department approval and the establishment/farm acknowledges the unit’s operator as an
employee of the establishment/farm as so stated pursuant to Article 20-C of the Agriculture and
Markets Law.
4. The operator of the mobile retail meat-processing unit and the licensee shall be required to
keep the following written records:
• Documentation, i.e. invoices or receipts, verifying all meats/meat products for
retail were slaughtered at a USDA facility
• Production records indicating the start weight of the carcass and how many
pounds were processed for retail sale. .
• Standard Sanitation Operating Procedure (SSOP) log for each day processing
occurs.
• Water quality verification.
5. Finished product (cut, wrapped) labeling shall contain the establishment/farm’s name, address
and all other information required by law.
6. The operator of the mobile retail meat-processing unit will be required to fax to the
appropriate Regional Chief Inspector or Zone Supervising Inspector their tentative monthly
processing schedule at the beginning of each month.
7. The mobile retail meat-processing unit and the licensee must consult with local zoning
officials before commencing the operation of the mobile retail meat-processing unit.
8. The mobile retail meat processing unit operator and/or the licensee may be required under
Article 5-C to register as a Disposal Plant/Transportation Service.
For more information, contact a NYSDAM Regional Office: Albany (518) 457-5459;
Syracuse (315) 487-0852; Rochester (585) 427-2273; Buffalo (716) 847-3185; New York
City (718) 722-2876.
3. 5-A Non-Amenable Meats
The flat bed trailers used in NY for mobile slaughter/processing of poultry under the 1000 bird
exemption are not sufficient for the slaughter and processing of rabbits under a 5-A license.
However, it is likely that a protocol could be developed to allow for the slaughter and processing
of rabbits in the enclosed trailers approved by NY for 5-A poultry processing. Several other
states operate modified mobile units that are approved for poultry farmers operating under the
Producer/Grower – 20,000 bird exemption AND rabbit producers.
There are no mobile processing units for large non-amenable species in New York. However, the
first large scale mobile slaughter/processing units operated in the United States were originally
designed for the field harvesting of large non-amenable meat species. Animals were dispatched
outside the trailers and then the carcasses brought in for further processing. The expense of the
units is probably the major impediment to their operation in New York.
4. USDA Federally Inspected or USDA-Equivalent Plants
USDA federally inspected red meat mobile plants now operate in several states. These units
consist of tractor/trailer combinations. Most units are equipped to only slaughter, dress out,
wash, and store the carcasses. The carcasses are then transported to a centralized cut and wrap
stationary establishment or to a farmer designated meat locker or other such processing plant.
These units require creative thinking and problem solving on the part of regional USDA FSIS
officers because the federal regulations are based on stationary meat plants.
Special issues relating to mobile red meat USDA slaughter plants include considerations as to the
needs of the inspector. Most inspectors working with mobile plants need advance notice of
schedules and slaughter locations than is required by an inspector operating at a stationary meat
plant. Directions to each location need to be provided well in advance. Prior approval of each site
may be necessary. If inspectors need to travel a long distance to meet the traveling unit, overtime
may be required. Inspectors need access to computers and telephones regardless of the location
of the facility; this requirement is not waved for mobile units in the field. However,
technological advances -in terms of cell phones and EVDO wireless cards – often provide
sufficient access. Mobile USDA facilities typically do not include rest room facilities. Instead,
FSIS offices in several states have issued waivers allowing the use of portable rest rooms or
farmhouse lavatories. The units usually provide a place for the inspector’s file cabinet, storage
cabinet and horizontal space for computer and printer use and storage of his/her records, brands,
and supplies.
Another challenging issue for the field unit is the designation of the official address of the mobile
unit. Mobile units have used the official address of either the home address of the unit’s manager
or the address of the stationary processing plant affiliated with the mobile unit.
The water used for slaughtering and processing must be certified as potable. Several mobile units
carry their own water tanks (e.g. 500 gallons), which are filled at specific locations supplying the
certified potable water requirements. In situations where the farm’s water is not certified, the on
farm water is used only for cleaning the outside of the mobile unit. In some cases, each farm is
required to provide a certification of potable water and thus meets the water supply requirement.
The units must supply 180º F water. This can be achieved by a heat exchanger and electric
sterilizers, or hot water heaters. Some mobile units in addition to carrying potable water also
carry holding tanks to contain a wastewater. In other cases, the farmer is responsible for
discharging wastewater properly.
Other issues may need to be addressed with mobile units. The trailers should be parked on a
gravel or concrete pad. Concrete pads need to be sloped with drain lines or fields for run-off,
while gravel pads have the advantage of allowing blood and water to percolate through.
Slaughtering and processing wastewater should not be discharged into sewers or storm drains.
The live animal inspection and kill usually takes place in outside pens supplied by the farm and
adjacent to the trailer-landing pad. Adequate restraint must be provided for dentition examination
of the animals if necessary and for humane stunning. Depending on the number of animals
slaughtered and the frequency the site is used, the pen flooring can be grass, gravel, or concrete.
Rodent control is also an issue and the site must not harbor any rodents. This can be an issue
when the pens are located near or within a barn structure. Vegetation around the landing site
should be mowed short or eliminated to discourage rodents.
After the animal has been inspected and dispatched, it is then hoisted into the trailer but only
after the previous carcass has been moved into the cooler. The access door should be closed
immediately behind the animal to avoid flies. Carcasses are inspected on the rail after skinning
but prior to washing. In some cases, inedible offal can be inspected on the floor if space is
otherwise limited for this activity. Removable head racks and drain trays may be used for head
and edible offal inspections respectively. Inedible materials are often properly and legally
disposed of on-farm under variances from state officials allowing the mobile unit to operate as an
on-farm activity. Some states such as New York allow on-farm composting.
Most of the units currently approved for federally inspected red meat are designed to handle
cattle and pigs. Several of these were built through either Tri Van http://www.trivan.net/ in
Ferndale, WA and Waco, TX or Featherlite http://www.fthr.com/ in Cresco, Iowa. Featherlite
has several dealers in the Northeast US. The currently approved units may be larger than what is
necessary for small ruminants only. The Spirit of Humane http://spiritofhumane.com/ in
Wisconsin used a grant from the Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SARE)
Program to develop a mobile slaughter unit for sheep and goats. The unit is only approved for
custom slaughter thus far, but, purportedly, was built to meet USDA federal inspection
standards. It consists of an 8 x 24 x 8 ft. trailer towed by a ¾-ton pickup. The trailer was created
by bolting a truck van body to a mobile home trailer bed. It includes an electrically heated
ceramic tile floor, food grade plastic coated walls and reinforced ceiling, grey water collection
tank, 4 x 8 ft. chill area with side exit from the trailer, water proof lighting, stainless steel sink
and work tables, and a double rail upright slaughter restrainer for humane halal kill of small
ruminants within the back part of the trailer. USDA inspectors did a walk thru of the plant and
recommended increased ventilation to prevent moisture condensation by adding a ceiling air
conditioner and fan, and an active insect control system such as an ultra violet light flytrap. The
unit cost $46,000 to build including research, design and redesign time. The owners estimate that
similar units could be built for $25,000.
In 2010, the Glynwood owned Mobile Harvest Unit known as LILA (Local Infrastructure for
Local Agriculture) received their USDA grant of inspection and became the first USDA
approved mobile processing unit east of New Mexico. It was leased to Eklund’s Farm in
Stamford (Delaware County), which served as the first docking station for the unit rather than
rotating the unit to the many small farms in the region. It was designed to serve only as a
slaughter facility and carcasses were initially transferred to a stationary, off-site processor for
USDA cutting. The LILA consisted of 4 modules, a 8’ * 53’ trailer provided inside-unit red meat
slaughter, carcass preparation and chilling; a refrigeration truck allowed whole carcasses or
quarters to be railed after chilling and delivered to a “cut and wrap” facility; a mobile “inedible
parts” trailer detached from the main unit for hygienic disposal of offal, manure, and other waste;
and a small office trailer provided the amenities required by USDA for the inspector and LILA
employees. Finding adequate docking options at various sites proved to be very difficult and
expensive, and ultimately, the unit was sold to a single producer for their own private use.
Glynwood staff estimated the cost of replicating their unit to be ~$750,000.
Both Delaware State University and Virginia State University have built smaller mobile
slaughter and processing units designed for USDA processing of goats and sheep. The DSU unit
is housed in a 40’ gooseneck trailer and also has capacity to handle poultry and fish. Both mobile
plants will be used for demonstration and training in 2019 prior to going into full operation.
5. Obtaining a Federal Grant of Inspection for a Mobile Red
Meat Slaughter Unit:
1) File an application for a Federal Grant of Inspection with your USDA FSIS District
office. Be sure to include either a drawing or written description of the “Limits of the
Establishment Premises.”
2) Make sure that the unit meets Regulatory Performance Standards (listed in Sections
416.1 to 416.6 of Title 9 of the Federal Code). A FSIS representative from the District
Office (often the frontline supervisor) will inspect your unit.
3) Reserve an establishment number and obtain approved labels containing the assigned
establishment number.
4) Obtain approved water source letter from local authorities that identifies the water
source and that states that the source is approved and that the water is certified as potable
and meeting EPA testing requirements. An acceptable current water laboratory sample
report must be on file before inspection can be granted.
5) Obtain an approved sewage system letter from local health agency. In several cases,
dispersal of blood and waste water into farmer’s fields has been approved for mobile
units.
6) Provide a written Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Sanitation – Sections
416.11 to 416.17 of Title 9 of the Federal Code.
7) Provide a written Hazard Analysis and HACCP Plan – Section 417 of Title 9 of the
Federal Code.
8) Submit schedules for hours of operation as soon in advance as possible.
9) Make sure “office space” for the inspector is prepared. Can be a conveniently located
locker and horizontal space. Obtain prior approval to dispense with desk and toilet
requirements if these will not be available.
For more information, see FSIS, Guidelines on Mobile Slaughter Unit Compliance,
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/091d8968-f850-45e5-b7fa
f3473e0c3b0e/Compliance_Guide_Mobile_Slaughter.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
For information on obtaining a Federal Grant of Inspection (including sample forms and
approval letters), see Federal Grant of Inspection Guide, FSIS,
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/inspection/apply-for-a-federal-grant-of
inspection .
For a comprehensive resource on building mobile meat plants (including manual, case
studies, companies that build plants and financial tools), see Mobile Slaughtering and
Processing, Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network,
http://www.nichemeatprocessing.org/mobile-unit-overview; see also Mobile
Slaughter/Processing Units, Extension (Sept. 10, 2013),
http://www.extension.org/pages/Mobile_Slaughter/Processing_Units (containing the
same information).
