On-Farm & Open to the Public
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USDA Animal Processing & Packaging
In 2013, our family took the final step in closing the loop from pasture to plate: we built our own on-farm processing plant, Kalapooia Valley Grass-Fed Processing. The facility sits just minutes from our pastures in Brownsville, Oregon, and allows us to manage every step of the process — from how the animals are handled to how each cut is packaged. For our customers, that means transparency, consistency, and trust. For our animals, it means a calm, humane end to a life lived on our beautiful Oregon pasturelands.
Built for Humane Handling From the Ground Up
Thoughtful Facility Design Built for Humane Handling
Kalapooia Valley Grass-Fed Processing is built purposefully on our farm with principles from Temple Grandin’s best practices for humane handling integrated into the design of the building, each animal is treated with respect and will always experience:
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Short transport times = lower stress compared to long-haul trucking. Another reason why on farm processing is better.
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Calm, low-stress environment: Slow movements and calm animal husbandry practices lead to more relaxed animals that are easier to manage and a more tender product.
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Thoughtful facility layout – Curved alleys, non-slip surfaces, and quiet handling help animals move naturally without fear.
USDA-Inspected for Food Safety & Quality
Kalapooia Valley Grass-Fed Processing operates under continuous USDA inspection (plant 45218M), with strict food-safety and sanitation protocols in place every day. What that means for our customers: is extreme traceability – because we own both the ranch and the plant, each carcass and cut can be tied back to our own individual animals and pastures.
Designed for Consistent, Year-Round Supply
The plant was built to support our grass-fed lamb program and a small grass-fed beef program. Today, Kalapooia processes around 11,000 head per year, split between lamb and beef.
Because the facility is integrated with our ranch:
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We can offer consistent size and quality 52 weeks a year.
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We control aging, cutting specs, and packaging, so chefs and shops get exactly what they expect every time.
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We can respond directly to feedback from retailers, chefs, and customers without going through a middleman.
Sustainability: Closing the Loop
Kalapooia Valley Grass-Fed Processing is part of a larger, closed-loop system on the ranch. Each part of the business supports the others — farming, ranching, converting wool and waste into fertilizer, breeding and growing grass seed and processing meats then composting the by-products of all this - it all works together to help us keep the waste low, our grassland soil healthy, and the operation sustainable over the long term.
Why Our On-Farm Processing Matters to the End Consumer
For restaurants, butchers, and home cooks, our on-farm facility means:
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Better flavor and tenderness – Low-stress handling and short transport times improve meat quality.
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Reliable cuts, every time – Specifications and quality don’t drift because we oversee cutting and packaging ourselves.
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Clear traceable farm direct source – From the pasture your lamb grazed on to the processing where it was respectfully harvested, the entire process stays in our hands.
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Real accountability – If you have a question about how your lamb was raised or processed, you’re talking directly to the farmers who raised it.
Open to the Public - Specializing in Animal Processing & Private Labeling
If you’re an farmer or retailer, big or small, looking for processing, packaging or private labeling, then please contact our sales team today for more information.
→ Contact us about animal processing and packing
→ Ask about private labels or custom processing