Our Method of Slaughter
Compassionate Slaughter
One of the important reasons we farm is that we abhor the conditions animals are put through in conventional feedlots and large scale poultry operations including how disrespectfully their lives are ended within large scale slaughter. Our farm offers a holistic, respectful alternative.
The most humane method for livestock includes a first step of stunning the animals. The throats are slit quickly by an experienced butcher under our supervision (we hand over each animal individually and witness the end of their life). The entire process of catching, transporting, and driving our animals to the butcher requires about one half day.
The slaughter and butchering of animals to sell their meat requires having a commercial facility with USDA inspectors on site. We personally drive our larger animals, the livestock, to the only Certified-Organic butcher in Illinois in our own trailer. This is the trailer the animals are used to seeing when we move them from one paddock to another on the other side of our property. We bring our smaller animals, the poultry, to Central Illinois Poultry, which like Eureka Locker is within a two hour distance. Central IL poultry is another family-run facility where we personally hand over and witness the slaughter of each bird. Our main butchers, Eureka Locker & Central Illinois Poultry, are both small family businesses, and we have long-standing relationships with them.
Because of Pandemic related bottle-necks and delays, we found we had to wait longer and go further to get processing and eventually found availability in Colfax, Indiana, at This Old Farm, which is the next closest, Certified-Organic processor, geographically. We also found a close by, small, family-run slaughter option, Forrest Meats, who offers some meat cutting, though with limits, that is, not being able to do our organic sausage-making & curing. So we work with Forrest Meats, also, now, when our orders can be filled without sausage or cured meat options.
Don't hesitate to let us know if you have any more questions about the butchering or any other aspect of our farming practices. We are an idealistic business and love sharing what we do with our customers!