Meat Processor

All Meat Processor Content

Several portions of ground beef being inspected at a meat processing facility.

Meat Inspection in South Dakota: Requirements and Resources for Processing and Selling Meat

If you are considering marketing your animals directly to consumers it is important to understand the inspection requirements for selling meat directly to consumers.

Young producer inspecting meat in a locker with a digital tablet.

So, You Want to Build a Meat Processing Facility? Five Initial Steps to Consider

The need for more small meat processing capacity and skilled workers is not a new problem facing rural America. No matter the reason for wanting to build, here are some steps to consider before diving in.

food thermometer being callibrated in oven

How to Calibrate a Meat Thermometer

A properly calibrated meat thermometer is key for achieving both meat safety and quality.

A woman holding a frozen pork cut next to an open freezer.

Pork Carcass Fabrication: Packaging and Meat Safety

This article is intended to provide guidance on the proper techniques for packaging meat and storing meat at home.

Variety of frozen meats in a freezer labeled with a red, “Not for Sale” stamp.

Meat (Not) For Sale

Before buying meat from local livestock producers, take the time to understand the rules and regulations of local meat processing.

Sealed packages of ground beef stacked inside a meat cooler at a grocery store.

Looking for Foodborne Germs and Their Resistance to Antibiotics: Ground Beef

This report analyzes the NARMS results for ground beef for the period of June 2018 through May 2019.

A man in a blue apron trimming the fat off the back of a pork loin cut.

Pork Carcass Fabrication: Primal and Retail Cuts

This article is intended to provide guidance on the proper techniques for fabricating a pork carcass at home.

A pork carcass that has been cut in half. There are black lines demonstrating where to cut the carcass into its primal cuts. White arrows call out the tenderloin section and the aitch bone. For a complete description, contact SDSU Extension at: 605-688-4792

At-Home Hog Slaughter

One option to address supply chain disruptions is to butcher pigs at home.

Ground Beef Basics

Fact sheet on navigating regulations and misconceptions of ground beef.

Goldilocks and Bison Carcass Size Considerations

Many are familiar with the story of Goldilocks and the three bears, where Goldilocks tries to find a bed that's not too hard, nor too soft, but “just right.” Learn how this same concept can help producers find a carcass size that's "just right" for bison processing.