SigMT

SIGNATURE MONTANA | 31 Many ranchers market directly to consumers, which creates a demand for local processing plants. This type of processing requires a state license. One benefit of having a federal processing plant is being able to ship products out of state, whereas state-licensed plants cannot unless they participate in the Cooperative Interstate Shipping Program. ere are three types of state-licensed meat facilities – meat depots, custom meat processors, and commercial meat processors. Meat depots can store meat and sell it directly to consumers or sell it wholesale to a retail business. Meat can be licensed by the county or the Montana Department of Livestock's Meat, Milk, and Egg Inspection Bureau, according to Bureau Chief Alicia Love. e agency that issues the license will do the inspections. "Meat depots are required to have a clean and sanitary place to store and protect meat from adulteration," explains Love. "e facility needs to be able to be locked so no one can tamper with the meat, and rodents, and birds can't get into it." ose interested in a meat depot need to contact the Montana Dept. of Livestock (DOL) or their county sanitarian. en, an inspector will conduct an on-site visit and make sure the facility is compliant with the requirements and give the owners a list of what to work on before a final visit, says Love. "It's not a long process," she explained. "Many counties don't allow the storage facilities to be aached to a residence for a meat depot, but we allow it if there is good separation between the personal and business spaces." State-inspected meat processors have more requirements for licensure, such as providing tracking of products and animals, S MT Shannon Ruckman has enjoyed writing about Montana agriculture and rural life for 16 years. She has an agricultural communications degree from Kansas State University. She and her family live in rural central Montana and are active in 4-Hand FFA. system setup, holding facilities, and humane slaughter processes, explains Love. "ere is a good demand for custom processing facilities, where they return the meat to the rancher," she says. "As consumers continue to show interest in wanting local foods and to know where their foods come from." Meat processors that want to sell meat wholesale have to receive a state grant of inspection and create a food safety plant and become HACCP certified. "It's a much longer process," says Love. "ey have additional steps with the county or Department of Environmental Quality for water and wastewater system verifications." Additionally, these facilities require a license from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and have related inspections if they plan to offer retail, direct-to-consumer sales on-site. "e counties can add more stringent rules," says Love. "A DOL inspector does the daily inspection, and a county sanitarian would visit once or twice a year for retail sales only." Photo by: Mariah Heitzman Eric Hinebauch Oce: 406.453.8413 300 River Drive North • Suite 3 Great Falls, MT 59401 Cell: 406.690.6699 AGENT Email: eric@hinebauchagency.com www.hinebauchagency.com Insuring Your Future. FARM CROP HAIL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL HOME AUTO

• Cover