Sheep Producer Opens On-Farm Processing Plant

Sheep Producer Opens On-Farm Processing Plant LIVESTOCK Sheep/Goats Anderson Ranches a fifth generation sheep producer in the Willamette Valley of Oregon expanded its brand in a big way in 2013 by opening its own meat processing facility “Now we control the quality from the time lambs are conceived until the finished product is delivered to customers ” says Reed Anderson Their new plant is a 15 000 sq ft facility that can process up to 300 animals a day “With this facility we can process animals at the exact time we want to and deliver the exact product our customers want ” says Reed noting that the plant can also process cattle and goats To set up the processing plant Reed first checked out government grants and looked into setting up their business as a co-op but eventually they mortgaged their farm to finance the facility The building is a post and frame structure Some processing equipment was acquired from a recently closed plant Reed says the holding pens and handling facility were designed for the humane treatment of animals “We used several of Temple Grandin’s ideas like curved walkways solid chutes and walls plenty of lighting low noise levels and non-slip surfaces to create a low stress environment ” Reed says “Handling animals in a gentle manner before slaughter is very important to maintain excellent meat quality ” Anderson even has security cameras monitoring the unloading area to make sure animals are handled properly as they’re delivered to the plant All of these measures are designed to maintain the family’s long-standing tradition of excellence That Anderson tradition began in the 1920’s when Reed’s great-grandfather and grandfather started raising small flocks of lambs Today Reed his wife Robyn and two sons raise Suffolk Hampshire Coopworth and Dorset all English breeds The animals thrive in the Willamette Valley’s cool moist climate feasting on nutrient-rich grass that grows lush thanks to the nearly 40 to 50 in of rain every year Anderson Ranches is Certified Humane its animals are never fed grain or byproducts and they’re never enclosed in feedlots Their sought after lamb products are found in fine restaurants throughout the West and also sold in retail locations “Our customers are interested in free range meat from animals that are grass fed and treated humanely ” says Reed “We provide all three of those attributes with the 15 000 animals we process each year ” In addition to breeding raising and processing lamb the family also produces forage-type grass seed makes compost from grass straw and sells pelts from processed animals to a plant in Texas Unuseable parts of butchered animals at the new plant are composted and spread back on their fields as fertilizer “We’re really a full-circle operation with hands-on quality control at every level ” Reed says with pride “Not too many years ago we used to ship our lambs 500 miles to California for processing then we worked with a processor 30 miles away and now the processing is done right on our ranch The facility is perfect for us and for our customers ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Reed Anderson Anderson Ranches Oregon Lamb Inc 36866 Highway 228 Brownsville Oregon 97327 ph 541 466-5866; www oregonlamb com

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