On-farm slaughter has long been a contentious issue in Vermont.
Vocal consumers, farmers and their advocates have campaigned hard for the right to raise an animal, then slaughter it and buy and sell its meat all on the same farm. But Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture has resisted that pressure, contending that farmers needed to provide a “custom” slaughter facility if they wanted to process animals close to home.
The fear, agency meat inspectors explained, was that the state could lose out on U.S. Department of Agriculture funding if Vermont ran afoul of federal food safety standards.
Well, meat inspectors have changed their tune — slightly. And thanks to new language in this year’s ag housekeeping bill (H. 515), farmers will be allowed to butcher and sell a small number of animals directly from their farms.
Is it a big win for farmers? Not exactly, says Rural Vermont executive director Andrea Stander.
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