He cannot bring the meat back to his farm and sell it there legally without getting FDA inspections and meeting their regulations - interpretation - megabucks and hastle. That's not to say your hay maker doesn't sell his meat under the radar. And if he does, more power to him. If he sells his meat through the slaughter house, then he will not get the price that Kroger gets for the meat, probably not even close.
I'm afraid that that's a little bit too BIG BROTHER for me. The government has regulated the small meat farmer out of the market. The reason the industrial meat industry needs the regulation is they raise their meat in over-crowded closed environments that encourage the spread of disease among the animals. That's not the case in a non-industrialized small farm where the animals can roam outside. The industrialized meat industry fills their animals full of antibiotics because the environments are so unhealthy. Once again, that's not necessary on a small farm.
I'm not arguing that a hog house should not have some government oversight because when a pig in that environment has a disease, the disease can be easily and quickly transmitted to hundreds of other pigs because they are packed in the place like sardines. However, its ridiculous to make a small farmer comply with the same beaurocracy because his animals are not subjected to the same conditions as the industrial meat houses. Unfortunately, government agencies are not known for using common sense.
I'm not here to rant against those in the ag-business. They do what is necessary to stay in business, and it's a very hard business. My beef, pardon the pun, is with the government's putting up roadblocks that make making a living as a small farmer difficult or impossible for many. I should be able to raise and sell eggs, broilers, pork, and beef to my next door neighbor if I raise the animals in a natural setting. Now if I choose to raise the animals cooped up inside closed quarters, that's my choice and that's when the beaurocrats can do their job.
Obed
