Solids and water are separated so thats easy to deal with. Weve probably trained over 75 facility managers that could potentially use the unit. Lauren: Sams comment here, It could be a space problem and a power draw and it would be very difficult.. Both in terms of the units use by farmers as well as for IGI as an organization to move toward constructing a four-legged slaughter facility. Today were going to hear reports from the field from about five mobile poultry units: in Kentucky, Montana, Vermont, and two in Massachusetts. are extra. Drawing on their own experiences and those of other poultry processing projects around the country, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project put together this comprehensive guide to planning and constructing a mobile poultry processing unit (MPPU) or stationary facility for on-farm poultry processing. Q: Your regulatory authorities have been okay with these producers sharing this unit as long as it comes onto their farm and they do the processing? Heifer sold the MPU to KSU in 2005 for $1; KSU hired Steve Skelton to get it up and running again. Food shortages have been exacerbated by a string of fires, plane crashes and explosions at nearly two dozen food processing facilities across Canada and the US. That might be something I would talk to Massachusetts about, your outgoing Commissioner, Scott Soares, but those are potential opportunities. 1. Map of MPUs for Rent The total cost to design, build, and ship here from Ohio was $93,000. Angela: From what I understand under my FDA training, that is only required if you have an on-site inspector, which we dont because were exempt. The Unit One Open Air Unit now has a unit manager and licensed trained crew option to travel with the unit. Mobile slaughter units appear to be the most immediate answer to the waning number of slaughterhouses. Contact Rachel Owens or Aaron Moore to schedule a rental date. Skip to content Welcome to Featherman Equipment | (660) 684-6035 M-F 9am-5pm CST The Featherman Pro picker, Scalder, Dunker, Shackles, Small Kill Cone Stand, and eight Broiler Cones. We had very few producers that were going to get near 1,000 birds. But weve been operating on this do-it-yourself model and we havent built the management piece into our business model because, again, it adds significantly to the cost. Thats an option here as well. But because of the cost of labor, the low production levels that we have in this state, were thinking that if there could be some docking stations and people could pool their birds, then we might be able to offer some opportunity to reach some markets. As in Massachusetts, where each processor has their own license and it goes to their farm, we have docking stations. We depended on the producers to have on-farm liability insurance to cover the costs of processing their birds. The plucker runs 3 to 5 birds (broilers) at a time for us and does not seem to break as many wings or legs as the EZ plucker did. Having raised, butchered and sold pastured poultry since 1994, we know the benefits and the bottlenecks of a poultry enterprise. This turkey processing video was produced by Fannys Farm in collaboration with Meagan Roberts of Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton, NC. Most of the people who attended the training were very small producers. Health Services required the waste water to be treated and not spread on farm fields. Also, Health Services insisted on an enclosed kill room, separate from the processing area. We really felt that after a couple years, it was just getting too worn out so it justified hiring a part-time manager that goes with it, will stay with it. Customers have the choice to watch or stay away. Under KSU ownership, users need only sign a waiver of liability each time they process, though they are advised to carry a product liability rider on their farm policy. This was prohibitively expensive for many farmers. As far as we know, this is the only commercially inspected mobile poultry unit in the country. Thats just some of the things that came up in the design here. (888) 822-3848 In the mid 1990s, Heifer and partners began working with limited resource farmers in several southern states, including Kentucky, to explore the pastured poultry model. Skelton said. It is considered a pioneer in mobile processing, and many producers and organizations from across the country have visited it or requested information. If youre doing custom processing and thats your only business model, that would be one way to do it. For over 15 years, Kentucky State University (KSU) has been helping small-scale poultry As of 2011, the unit has ten regular users and thirty producers are certified to use it. KSU provides the training, which costs $50 per user. As I mentioned before, the waste management is much easier with one single outlet point. It is tricky to build in a shared-use management policy; not having someone there to manage and monitor the equipment. The MPU has been running smoothly since 2005. Everything cost more than we had originally thought. I purchased a Featherman Pro last month and am now successfully using and renting it on a regular basis. Jefferson Monroe is a poultry farmer on Marthas Vineyard and after studying philosophy he found his calling: a Senegalese shaman told him to work with the earth. Unfortunately, there are so few slaughter facilities that urban farmers may decide that raising chickens for anything other than personal consumption is not economically feasible. I will start with a brief history of our mobile poultry processing unit project. Arion: One of the things that I think is great for NMPAN and folks on this webinar is to see whats been accomplished elsewhere. The first part of that plan was to bring together experts in the field. propane tank to provide heat for the scalder (propane tanks cannot travel with MPU due to risk); Ability to maintain high level of sanitation and exclude insects/pests (at KSU, it is a pole barn). The mobile poultry processing unit (MPU) is rolling and butchering chickens in central, north central, and eastern Pennsylvania. Heifer then had to get what they called an exemption from the exemption, from USDA. We wanted to do away with that bottleneck for small producers. The MPU coordinator is an employee of Kentucky State University. In 1997, Heifer and the above-listed partners, working with the farmers, decided to build a mobile processing unit for use in Kentucky. But thats a pretty (in my opinion) short-term business strategy because at some point, you may come up on the radar and have to change your pricing structure to meet the requirements of the regulations. Angela: If you had someone come onto your farm and say, I want these five birds.. Theres also a small holding tank for pre-chilling. We started out in 1998 developing this unit. Q: Thats good to know, I appreciate you mentioning the price. They operate under the 20,000-bird exemption with some pretty efficient production. She has a Masters in Agricultural Policy from Tufts University. But we never thought that this would be a long-term option for processors as they grew. Comments? Id like to start by just saying Im representing Montana Poultry Growers Co-op in this presentation. I am on the marketing and development side and not on the meat inspection side. So they can bring their product to the mobile processing unit while its tied to a docking station and process their birds. The MPU coordinator makes sure HACCP is followed each time the unit is used. The Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) allows multiple farmers to use the same unit as long as (a) the farmers use the unit themselves, on their own farms, to process their own birds; and (b) no one farmer processes more than 20,000 birds per year. The unit was stationed there a considerable amount of time. Purchasing chicks could also be done in a cooperative manner. The MPU must be used within a docking station that meets these requirements: As noted above, the MPU was originally meant to be used at many sites, both farms and fairgrounds. This is a picture of the unit [see slides]. Some of the key issues that we did find wereours is more of a gooseneck trailerwhere our hot water heaterin the state of Kentucky they will not allow us to do propane, so we have to tie into that 220v for our hot water heater and also air conditioning. With a $15,000 SARE grant as seed money, the team consulted with state and federal agencies about health and safety requirements, then designed and built the MPU. The unit is owned by the New England Small Farmers Institute and was purchased using a federal grant from Rural Cooperative Development Grants. There is a nice breeze on a wonderful day. Is that a 20,000 bird or a 1,000 bird exemption theyre using with this unit? The ferry costs, round-trip, anywhere from $100-150 depending on the season. For the economically minded, Cornerstone Farm Ventures, a manufacturer of mobile poultry processing units in Norwich, N.Y., has built a "Mini Mobile Processing Unit.". He abandoned his project and we went ahead and picked up his trailer. It clearly says that you can only choose one exemption per calendar year. Anything that needs to be repaired is slightly more expensive because it is all plumbed and wired professionally so things are hidden in the walls and underneath, which is nice, but also requires more skill to get at those pieces. Thanks again to all of our speakers and as Lauren said, great discussion today. They are now working with the Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement Program to develop a financially viable model for continuing to use this unit. Weve probably been modeled by several states. We have met some challenges and learned some lessons operating Unit 1 over the four-year pilot project and last year. In effect, the producer is still operating under the producer/processor exemption but they are hiring the licensed trained crew. All the equipment is exposed to the air. This was a second-use piece when it was bought. There were several members that were interested in looking at doing bird processing to enter a retail/wholesale marketplace so that was when the members came together and expressed interest in our center. Mobile Poultry Processing Unit FOR SALE: READY TO OPERATE, TURN-KEY UNIT.$150,000.00 The 2007 53' reefer trailer was converted into a fully enclosed, turn-key, USDA compatible, Mobile Poultry Processing Unit. We have kill-tanks, killing cones; all of our stuff is done because its under a docking station. There are two hot water hand wash sinks on either side of the clean and the dirty side, heated by propane. There seemed to be a market niche there that would be an opportunity for local growers. Most facilities have moved away from processing or only process privately. Some have continued to use the unit because they find it cost-effective and continued raising birds. Depending on the state that would definitely be a consideration. Jennifer: I was just going to say, to clarify the last point, about some of the poultry producer/processor exemptions. Q: This is one of the first mobile poultry processing units that was ever put together, correct? In the United States, the hygiene requirements and SSOP are almost the same as in the EU (Mobile Poultry Processing Unit Farm & Food Safety Management Guide, 2012). The trailer rents for $100 a day Monday - Thursday and $125 a day Friday - Sunday. The floors are tapered into a drain. This small mobile poultry processing unit was built in Kentucky in 2001 by Heifer International with Kentucky State University (KSU), Partners for Family Farms (PFF), and the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). Those are the things that I think we are looking at as next steps. That was over $8,000 more than we had originally estimated. For some farmers, weve actually worked it out of a job because they are at the level of production that it justifies bringing to the USDA-inspected facility, which allows them to sell out of state to a broader market base. And/or is your goal to save enough funding to replicate this into the future and build additional units moving forward? On the other hand, IGI as an organization is just now completing a USDA visibility statement, which is the precursor to applying for funding and our grant of inspection. Everyone is kind of watching each other. Requirements for renting and operating a mobile poultry processing unit vary from state to state and can be fairly complicated. 2023 Kentucky State University. The unit received its full USDA approval in September, 2013, and has been processing birds, including some of those raised in the CCE's of St. Lawrence County's hoop house project. MSUs Now Operating MSU Case Studies MSU Manual Mobile poultry processing units cost urban farmers much less to build than a permanent slaughtering facility, which results in lower processing costs per bird. In 2011 they had a net profit over their management costs of $203. Is it completely covered in rental costs? For 15 years, shes facilitated business and market development, partnerships, capitalization, and more food farming and food system ventures in her state of Montana. So we decided to sell the unit. He actually had to implement a higher mileage fee and a minimum bird number. Jan: The state of Montana will recognize the federal exemption in that they will license the unit under a quarterly exemption. All rights reserved. The new scalder from Featherman seems huge in comparison to and it works great. We did charge for using the unit. Farmers use it on a rental basis to process poultry and aquaculture. We attribute that to the poor design of the unit, which we if we were to re-do it again we would not have used that kind of design. Weather has been an issue. They also taught producers how to document their work and helped them understand the reasoning behind certain food safety practices. Lauren: They dont allow that here in Oregon. Our funding partners are USDA, Toledo Foundation, USDA Risk Management, and the Montana Department of Agricultures Growth through Agriculture Program. Its also equipped with an electric stun knife. Q: Has any mobile poultry unit looked into air chilling? Al igual que con cualquier traduccin por Internet, la conversin no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. We upgraded this year to the Featherman Scalder (with manual shackles) and the Pro Plucker. If you operate a unit and would like to see it listed here, please contact us. Our Department of Agricultural Resources regulates animal health and the composting of animal products. Hashley and Lowy are so pleased with the mobile poultry processing unit, they are helping to raise funds to purchase a second, more robust unit for urban farmers in Massachusetts. No registration is required. In terms of our total number of poultry processed, last year we processed about 7,500 birds. Each year we had numerous repair costs. Angela: It all depends on the crew. El ingls es el idioma de control de esta pgina. processor, Skelton said. As you can see on the map of Montana, we are a big state with a very small population, so I think its a very important foundation to understand just how far spread the numbers are in this state, which ended up being quite challenging in the use of this unit. Folks here in our Meat Inspection Division and in the Ag Resource Management Division signed off on the unit. We cover those costs generally through tiered processing. Its one of very few in the country that Skelton is aware of. Middleville MI 49333. It was purchased by Tangletown Farm in Middlesex. For fish or aquaculture products, its $75 per day. It was continuously inspected. [from ATTRA] ATTRA is a program of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). We do a lot of producer/processor training, which is required for food safety training for our state. Today, Health Services must be informed every time the unit is used, and they are present at many processing sessions. In the last few years, there has been a huge increase in demand for rabbit processing services. Understand the Industry. It will pluck a chicken in 30 seconds. The most recent happened on Thursday in Georgia when a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff into a General Mills plant just east of Atlanta. At that time there were no inspected facilities for poultry producers to take their birds. If Nancy Matheson is still on the line, Nancy can talk to this also, that its extremely challenging to get the county sanitarians on one page. An additional concrete pad for the slaughter area, sloped to drain; Electric: 200 amp service panel that is either waterproof/covered; Water: from an approved municipal source or a tested well, with a flow rate of at least 10 gallons per minute; Wastewater treatment: 750-gallon grease trap and a 1500-gallon septic tank that has a float sensor with an alarm or light as a fill indicator; water must be pumped out and hauled to an approved wastewater treatment plant; MPU user must bring a 100-lb. And rabbits are $50 per day for the first 50 birds and then $0.50 after that. Some of the benefits of this unit: The equipment was designed for higher capacity throughput so it can do a larger number of birds per hour. For example, someone who went through the MPU training decided he could operate his own plant and built his own small, stationary, USDA-inspected poultry processing plant in Bowling Green, KY (SS Enterprises). When things break, weve seen a lot of, Its not my fault. People have different levels of cleanliness standards and how they return the unit. Reprinted with permission from The Mobile Poultry Slaughterhouse: Building a Human Chicken Processing Unit to Strengthen Your Local Food System by Ali Berlow and published by Storey Publishing, 2013. The other management piece is whether you have a viable business plan. In Vermont we do have accepted agricultural practices rules, which is on-farm wastewater management requirements. (517) 223-4431. The Growers Co-op was incorporated in 2006. We found through legal and liability issues that it was easier to have a state entity own it. If you have questions about processing your poultry, contact an Area Specialized Agent for poultryoryour countys livestock agent. Again, we talked about the cost of gas, which attributed to really limiting the effectiveness of the unit. One couple simply put an ad in their local paper and can barely keep up with demand; one of their customers regularly drives 72 miles to buy a dozen at a time. Our mission is to improve the quality of the food supply, encourage local entrepreneurship and pasture based products, and increase the viability of the small family farm by putting high quality processing equipment within reach of the small operation. However, because the MPU requires a high level of knowledge to use, a KSU employee serves as coordinator. We dont have a lot of local feed sources in the state of Montana except for Big Sky Organic. Jennifer: We have that same philosophy here in Massachusetts, which is why we really emphasize producer training to the utmost extent. Having a back-up plan for inedibles if composting wasnt available or there wasnt a docking site option. Q: Youve been through quite a lot of figuring it out, testing it, seeing how it works; if somebody came to you now and said, Wed really like to put one of those together for our state what would you say? The organic producers were looking at having to sell their birds at about $4.30 $4.50/lb. Any thoughts from our speakers about that? IGI [Island Grown Initiative] is a local non-profit. They process birds for the elderly centers, soup kitchens, banquets or field trips We excel at butchering 25 to 150 chickens. We will now move on to Angela Caperelli. We started this project four years ago to address the lack of past and present lack of processing options for Vermont producers. KSU's poultry mobile processing unit (MPU) began as an idea in 1997 by farmers and Heifer International and came to fruition in 2001, according to Steven Skelton, a cooperative extension coordinator at the University. Our management team consists of the Kentucky Department of Public Health, our Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Heifer International (which was actually the original funder), Fortis Project, Partners for Family Farms (which is our non-profit, third-party fiscal agent), Kentucky State University (which has a research farm), University of Kentucky (which has the poultry expert), Berea College (which works very closely with small farmers), and Morehead State University (which also works with small farmers and is a recipient of a docking station). You do have to have a bathroom facility available to workers, but it does not have to be within the unit. Chelsea: Absolutely. She coordinates the Vermont Meat Process Market Group and the New England Beef Institution Initiative. The manager is not responsible for helping to process, however does kind of oversee, make sure that the facility manager covers all the bases in the HACCP training manual and also its cleaned properly with the proper chemicals. Although the document was written according to regulations in Wyoming, the content is applicable nationwide as long as the particular states regulations are followed.Mobile Slaughter Unit for Wyoming: Assessment of Needs and Values. Other larger markets require more insurance. In the beginning, the greatest challenge was developing a deeper level of trust and understanding between producers and state agencies. It was less expensive to build. It cost about $90,000 to build, which was far more than we anticipated but were pretty happy with what it does for now. Beginners Guide to Local Meat Processing, Mobile Poultry Processing Units: Reports from the Field, Lake County Community Development Corporation, Spring Hill Poultry Processing (VT unit history and original operation), Brief history of the MPPU and primary partners, Revenue and whether costs are being covered, Work to date: #s of poultry processed/farmers served, Whether the MPPU has successfully solved the problem it was designed to solve. Does that makes sense? We had close to 1500 birds processed and 240 rabbits. But it works for us. Hes an Amish farmer and he processes his own birds. Take it away, Jefferson. In order to use the mobile processing unit, you must go through a one-day training program every two years. at the Laurel County African American Heritage Center and is due for completion in One docking station is under construction Butchering at the farm takes the stress out of the process for the birds and you. This is the first fully-certified USDA mobile poultry processing unit in the United States. For more information about the MPU, contact Steven Skelton at (502) 597-6103 or steven.skelton@kysu.edu. Fortunately for urban poultry producers, mobile processing units for poultry (called mobile poultry processing units or MPPUs) are the most common, because they are smaller and require a lower capital investment. Mobile poultry processing units (MPPUs) have been around for more than ten years. Or is this something self-sustaining? We designed it this way because we felt we could control the concerns about flies, etc., from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Livestock in the evisceration stage by having a closed unit in the front. Our first speaker is Jennifer Hashley, director of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, a partnership between Tufts University and Community Teamwork Incorporated, which helps limited resource farmers in Massachusetts get started to preserve farmland and expand access to local food. They also required an enclosed kill area that was less flimsy than the original, moveable awning. Mobile slaughter and processing units are now in operation around the country. Butchering at the farm takes the stress out of the process for the birds and you. Call to get scheduled at 651-500-3780 Welcome to Clean Chickens and Co. llc! Lauren: I know that in some states, including Oregon, they say that thats not okay, but I think it will be a state-by-state thing. Most of our funding for this project has come from USDA Rural Developments Rural Business Enterprise Grant program; our local foundation, the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture; Department of Ag Resources had an agricultural innovation center grant; our training funding came from Northeast SARE, research and education; and individual donors contributed toward building the second mobile unit. A deluxe model was purchased by the Vermont state legislature in 2008 for $93,000 to bridge the gap for their small producers. Q: Yes, Angela also noted that farmers are responsible for their own liability on their farm policy. Our apprentice Charli is getting picked up by an airplane in Crookston, Minnesota for a job interview. Ive never gotten them this clean by hand! He did have the option to dock at state fairgrounds but he chose not to do this.
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