Drive To Open New US Meat Processing Plant
US - Meat-producing farmers in the area are working together to bring a slaughterhouse to southeastern Massachusetts after the lone facility in the area closed last spring.
8 December 2006
1 minute read
A dozen farmers, mostly from Westport and Dartmouth, have formed Southeastern Massachusetts Meat Producers in hopes of opening a USDA-certified meat processing plant, though it appears to be a longshot, said Paul Schmid, a beef farmer at River Rock Farm off Fisherville Lane and chairman of the Westport Finance Committee.
Since the South Dartmouth slaughterhouse closed, farmers have had to make the 100-mile trek to the closest facility in Groton, between Lowell and Fitchburg. There are also a few members from farms in Rhode Island, which is also without a certified facility.
Schmid said producing beef may be the only way for farmers to survive in the area.
"A slaughterhouse is important," Schmid said. "As you know, the dairy business has been terrible for Northeastern farmers. They have to get much bigger or go out of business, but there's not enough land here to get that big."
Source: The Herald News
