Reviving the Neighborhood Butcher Shop: Reedy Creek Meats

By LeeAnna Tatum

When it comes to “farm to table” conversations, the farm and the table get all the attention while that all important transition is often purposefully overlooked. But ignoring the process that takes farm animal to butchered cuts of meat is a disservice; both to the men and women who do the work of butchery and to the animals themselves whose lives are taken.

Modern society and the current food system that dominates the industry here in the US has removed consumers so far from their food sources that many Americans have a hard time understanding or even being willing to contemplate the origins of the meat they consume.

Thankfully, there are places like Reedy Creek Meat Company in Vidalia that are coming back to our neighborhoods and communities and are restoring access to local meats for consumers, providing valuable processing services to local farmers and reducing the stress put on livestock by significantly shortening transportation and holding times.

Albert and Kim Cosnahan opened Reedy Creek Meat Company in 2019, but have been working with cattle for much longer. Albert has been a cattleman for more than 20 years and the couple raise their own cattle on Reedy Creek Farm.

For many years, they had their beef processed for them but became increasingly unhappy with the quality of the cuts and even questioned whether the meat they were getting from the packing house had even come from their own cattle. To protect the integrity of their finished product, they decided to get into the processing business for themselves.

Because of their own experience, they work hard to ensure transparency throughout the process and to provide as much information as possible to help their customers make the best decisions they can.

As Kim began the process of working with USDA for correct labeling for their own beef, she realized how complicated it can be. Since she was already having to stay on top of the frequent changes and red tape involved in getting labels approved for their own products, she decided to offer it as a service to their customers as well. This means that small farms wanting to sell their meat from their own farms can go through Reedy Creek instead of having to take on the hassle of working directly with the USDA.

Farmers who bring their livestock for processing through Reedy Creek will have their meat inspected by the USDA and can have it packaged and labeled there under the packinghouse number. Once packaged, the meat can be legally sold from their farm or at farmers’ markets.

“Since we started that way ourselves, selling off of our farm, I thought why not offer this service to them? Why not take what we’re trying to do, let them utilize our packinghouse number and then go do what they need to do and let me take the headache on,” Kim explained.

In addition to having their meat inspected by the USDA, farmers can also choose to have their beef graded (which is done by a different set of inspectors). By having the meat graded, farmers can not only have a better understanding of the quality of meat they are producing but they can also market it differently according to grade.

Through the grading process, Reedy Creek is able to offer their farmers detailed reporting on the quality of their meat and provide them with data that helps the farmers know whether or not they are on the right track with their herds. By knowing how each cow grades out and the number and quality of cuts produced, they can make the best decisions on breeding and feeding programs and make changes as needed to get the most from their herds.

“I have so much respect for these producers, and so does Albert, because we’ve been there, we’ve walked in their shoes,” Kim explained. “We know exactly what it’s like ... We tell everybody, ‘if you’re not making money, we’re not making money’, so it’s in our best interest too to provide every bit of data that we can.”

“It’s been a big learning curve for us,” Kim said of establishing these services for producers “… we knew what we wanted to do and we knew what we had wanted as producers that we were never getting from processors, but we didn’t know how to go about it. So, for the last year and a half, we’ve just figured it out. It’s helped us grow this portfolio.”

Not everyone who brings their animals to Reedy Creek will require that much feedback. They also work with hobby farmers and individuals who raise one or two animals at a time for meat for themselves and their own families. These customers receive the same level of service and quality butcher cuts. They also get the benefit of having their meat USDA inspected as the center does not operate without the inspector present.

“I love to work with hobby farms. I love to see families raise their own livestock and bring it in and give them just as quality a service as our bigger producers,” Kim said. “And I love to market for these farm to table producers. That to me is where my heart lies, because I know the backstory and how much effort goes into it.”

A typical week for the processing center includes three days set aside for slaughter. Animals that can be processed are: cows, pigs, goats and sheep. Tuesdays and Thursdays are set aside for cattle and the other animals can be processed on Wednesday. Clients must schedule ahead of time.

Care is taken to ensure that the right number of animals are scheduled for each day so that (barring unforeseen circumstances) all the animals brought that day for processing can be handled in a timely manner and none will end up having to be kept overnight. This is done to create as stressfree an environment as possible for the animals. Scheduling also ensures that only one species of animal is processed at a time which also alleviates stress on the livestock.

In compliance with humane slaughter regulations, a captive bolt (also known as a cattle gun) is used to instantly render the animal unconscious (in most cases, the animal is essentially brain-dead at this point, though vital functions like heartbeat continue). The animal is immediately hoisted to hang upside down and the head is removed to finish the kill and allow the blood to be drained.

The hide is removed at this point, as well as the intestines and other inedible portions. The carcass is then placed in a flash cooler that will quickly reduce the temperature of the meat to ensure that it stays safe for consumption.

Every carcass is inspected by a USDA inspector to ensure the animals are disease-free.

The carcass is then hung in a cooler for at least 72 hours before it is graded by a different USDA inspector who evaluates the meat based on fat content and marbling. This level of inspection is an optional inspection available for customers.

From there, the carcass is butchered out into the cuts that the customer requests. All the information on cuts is recorded for the producers, so they know exactly what each animal generated. For those who are having an animal processed for their own use, the same level of care and attention to detail is given to the butchery. Prior to processing the individual meets with the Processing Manager who has more than 25 years of retail butcher experience. He can make recommendations based on the customer’s needs and help guide the decision-making process.

“We have several options for butchering,” Kim explained. “We have a butcher’s preference, this one is the favorite of hobby farmers and individuals who may not know what the best choice of cuts would be.”

“My processing manager has over 25 years experience doing retail cuts, so he can look at a carcass when it comes in and tell you what he thinks should be done with it. He calls customers and he actually takes the time to let them know how he thinks they should do the steaks and the rest of the meat.”

“We take the time and we do consultations here,” she continued. “When you come in, we have a whole sheet and you sit down with us and we talk you through. We don’t just say, here’s the sheet, let me know what you want. We kinda walk you through.”

Kim loves working with families who are raising animals for their own food and believes it is something that more people are starting to do again.

For consumers looking to buy meat, the butcher shop is open Monday through Friday. The shop carries Reedy Creek beef that is grown either by the Cosnahans on their farm or one of the local farms that raises beef for their brand. They also sell prime sheep and goat meat that is sourced from local producers.

“We do have two producers now that grow cattle for us using our regimented feed rations,” Kim explained. “And that’s something that a lot of people don’t know about Reedy Creek. But, If you want to grow cattle and that’s all you want to do - we have a contract for that. You can grow cattle for us, because we need them. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough time in the day for Albert and I do it all. If you come in here and buy, you’re eating local beef from us.”

Decentralizing meat production is important for many reasons including the impact that any small business has on the local economy.

Local processing centers and butcher shops are vital to restoring local food systems. They play an important role in ensuring that local farmers can provide meat to people within their own communities. They are essential to shortening supply lines which has a positive impact on the global environment and helps protect food security within the communities they serve.

Localized processing centers are also good for the welfare of the livestock. By reducing transport time and holding time prior to slaughter, livestock animals are subjected to far less stress than they would be otherwise. There is also a much greater degree of accountability for local processors.

When you buy meat from a local butcher or straight from your local farmer, you are helping to rebuild a food community; and that means you are helping to strengthen the local economy, improve conditions for livestock animals, and reduce negative impacts on the environment. You will also be consuming a safer meat product and you can be sure that you know where your food came from!

For more information on Reedy Creek Meats, check out their website, www.reedycreakmeat.org and follow them on Facebook!