[AT] value added meat processing?? (OT)

Wed Dec 6 05:27:34 PST 2006

Cecil,

Wow, that's a tough way to learn that someone does not want your business....

Regards,

Will Powell
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Cecil Bearden <crbearden at copper.net>
> I just thought I would let you all be amused, irritated, bemused, or
> whatever word or emotion you would like to use to describe the treatment
> I had from the processor I used for my lambs.
> 
> I went through the process of getting labels approved and everything so
> that I could sell processed lamb through the OK food Coop  
> www.oklahomafood.coop  I had to select a processor also.  I selected
> Market 54 in Weatherford OK.  It was a 65 mile haul.  The other was
> Ralph's in Perkins, and as I had received a royal you know what with the
> last lambs I took to the sale barn at Perkins, I just did not want to go
> to Perkins again..
> 
> The difference in distance was 6 miles, so what the heck.  Also the
> owner of the plant in Weatherford lives here in Piedmont.  So 2 months
> ahead of time, I scheduled them to be processed the Thursday before
> Thanksgiving week.  I was supposed to pick up the meat on Friday after
> Thanksgiving.
> 
> I was also supposed to pick up the heads, hides, and offal.  I was told
> this was a problem as the other processor did not want to pick up sheep
> parts due to the scrape and mad cow crap...  I agreed as I thought I
> could sell the hides and use the horns for something.  Knife handles
> perhaps.
> 
> Wednesday before I was to haul them, I was told an electrical problem
> occurred and they could not take them until the following Tuesday when
> the state inspector was was available for inspection.  And to wait until
> later in the morning because he had to process Buffalo that morning. 
> That was fine, as I am not one to get gone early due to a stomach
> problem I have had for over 30 years.  I was willing to do whatever it
> took to get this done as I had scheduled the meats for sale over the
> Holidays with the food cooperative.  I also wanted to build a
> relationship with a processor.  That is the way I have done business
> with vendors for over 40 years.  We both have to stay in business, so I
> find someone to work with for both our benefits.
> 
> I showed up at 10:00 am on Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving.  The
> owner unloaded the 4 barrels I had brought for the heads and hides and
> offal and carried them about 50 yards!!!  He then proceeded to berate me
> for bringing 19 head instead of the scheduled 11.  (I had 18 rams, when
> I counted them 2 months prior I only counted 11 with horns, go figure! 
> I also had one fence crawler that I was going to process for myself to
> decide on the difference in taste with age.)  He also chewed on my butt
> for about 10  minutes because 25 hunters had showed up with deer for
> processing that morning.  ( Was that my fault?)
> 
> I was told that he could not process all of them that day.  I did not
> like the spaces in his pens, but agreed to let them stay.  I went into
> town and got some 55 gal liners for the barrels and brought them back
> and talked to him again about how I wanted it done.
> $10 ea. on Wednesday and called him and asked that since he came home to
> piedmont at night anyway, would he bring the hides so I could salt
> them.  He said he did not know he was to save the hides.....  I told him
> that I discussed that several times and he agreed to save the hides as I
> had them sold for $15 ea.  (figured I better use a good offense as this
> guy was going to cost me).  e said he would look through his hide
> barrels and see if he could find them.  I got a call at 4:45 pm that he
> had found 11 hides and the rest were gone.  He would bring them when he
> got back about 9pm.  He then started to tell me how crazy everything was
> because of deer season.  I asked why that was my fault, and he began to
> berate me for bringing 8 more head than scheduled, and he just wanted to
> get through this without getting p----d off!!!!!    Hmmm!!   I just said
> OK and hung up.  I had just got my diesel truck out of the dealership
> about 30 minutes earlier and had to pay $700 for repairs when I thought
> it would have been about $250...  I was not going to get into a fight
> even though I could have fought a grizzly bear about then.  I had to go
> to another town about 20 miles away and get some salt for the hides and
> some fuel conditioner for my truck as I was leaving for Cape Giradeau MO
> in the morning and would have to salt the hides that evening.
> 
> I got the hides about 8:30pm in 2 tubs.  When I got them home and
> started salting them, the heads and the lower joints of the back legs
> were still attached.  That blackbelly hide is the softest hide you  can
> find, but also the toughest to cut.  I finally found that sharp tin
> snips will cut it..  I also found a chines web site that states that
> hair sheep produce the finest glove leather available.
> About 10:30 I got the hides salted and went inside.
> 
> I got a call on Monday morning about 7:00 am about how I wanted the meat
> cut.  I had left labels in a file box with them when I delivered the
> live animals.  We discussed how it was to be cut with the labels we had
> since I had more animals, and we decided to use as large of cuts as
> possible.  The is made the leg an entire hindquarter. The rib roast is
> the entire ribcage with the loin attached.  We also had rib chops,
> ground lamb, spareribs, shoulder roast, and fries.   I was told the meat
> would be ready for pickup on Tuesday morning.  I might note that the
> state inspector is only there on Tuesday and Thursday and has to be
> present when the meat is processed.
> 
> I took off work another day on Tuesday and I had bought a freezer, put
> it on a wheeled platform, so that I could move it with my little
> forklift.  I had a generator on my truck to run the freezer while in
> transport, and had a couple of ice chests just in case.  I got to the
> processor about 10:00 am after getting everything hooked up for the
> first time. and we loaded all the meat into the freezer with a few cuts
> in one chest and the ewe I had processed in another chest.  I returned
> home to count my packages.
> 
> When I got home the first thing I notices was that there was no weight
> on the packages.  The OK ag dept was very specific as the labels had to
> have a net weight line on them.  I now have a scale thanks to E-bay.... 
> I also had only 33 legs of lamb..  18 X 2 was 36 back in 3rd grade,  I
> did not think It had changed....  I also noted there were no Fries, I
> had labels for them.  I also had left my file box with the labels with
> them.  I called and was told that I had not told the girl in the front
> that I wanted the Fries saved, and that during deer season things are
> just too crazy around there...  I also was told that don't deal with the
> owner, make sure that I deal with the girl in the front office.....
> I said thanks and Merry Christmas.   I told my Dad that the fries were
> saved, I just did not get them.
> 
> So...  I had the hides sold for $10 ea and he lost 8 that is $80
> I now have the heads sold to an artist for $10 ea and that is another $80
> There was probably 18lbs of fries at $5 and that is another $90
> 
> I was charged $35 per head for processing for a total of $665
> 
> My wife said if I go back there again I am crazy....
> 
> Cecil in Piedmont, OK
> 
> 
> >
> >
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> Remembering Our Friend Cecil Monson 11-4-2005
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