A recent report by the New York Times pointed out the decline in the number of slaughterhouses in the country - there were 908 slaughterhouses in 2008, down from 1,211 in 1992 - and the affect it has had on the farming community. The demand for locally grown meats has grown, and producers who could potentially benefit from that movement are struggling to find a slaughterhouse that can accommodate them. In many cases, the nearest locker plant is a hundred miles away or more, and that transport takes its toll on the animals and the quality of the meat.
Several communities around the country have come up with a solution - if they can’t bring the animals to a slaughterhouse, they can bring a slaughterhouse to the animals. Mobile slaughter units, which are large trailers containing everything needed to harvest livestock and prepare the carcasses for further processing, are popping up in communities throughout the United States. There are more than a dozen such facilities in existence, processing everything from beef, pork and chicken to exotic deer, bison and reindeer. These trailers, under inspection by state or federal employees, are giving producers an opportunity to market their meat products in farmer’s markets and local retail and foodservice establishments.