I am looking for other state, county, and city or town regulations for producers to sell fresh and smoked red meats at farmers markets. We are trying to educate our county officials that we will not kill the public if they allow us to sell locally produced red meats. We can and do have the animals USDA processed but still we can not sell at the farmers market. If I had other examples in print I could present it and maybe I might be able to convince the officials that it is done successfully in other places. Thanks in advance Nicole Murray 154 Patterson Rd. Port Angeles, WA 98362

-- Nicole Murray (nmurray@olympus.net), February 21, 2002

Answers

I've been loking into the same thing here in Ontario. Has to be processed at a provincially inspected plant, there has to be a freezer at the market (or cooler for nonfrozen meat)and absolutly no home or market, cutting, cureing or wrapping. Local health unit sets the regs here.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), February 21, 2002.

Check out Colorado Springs. They have a very active farmers market system (several a week, all over the area)and have people there selling organic beef. My memory isn't working very well this morning, but my husband says the guy had a few ice chests full of small cuts, but that he took orders for quarters and halves. As a side note, Colorado Springs has one of the best farmers market programs I've ever seen. If you are wanting to start one in your area, it would be a good one to copy.

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), February 21, 2002.

Might try this site:

[PDF] Direct Marketing from Farmers to Consumers - A Growing Trend File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML ... elements. Regulations regarding direct sales are changing to accommodate ... To illustrate, if a farmer wants to direct-market meat to consumers, he must ... www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/cei/direct_market3.pdf -

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), February 21, 2002.

New York State requires meat be processed through a Federally inspected plant, will be stamped on the wrapper, be kept at zero degrees till sold, and you have a legal for trade scale. Thats about it. Regulations can be obtained from the Dept. of Ags and Markets in Albany new York.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), February 21, 2002.

Of course if they don't allow you to sell the meat there, you could alway have a stand with business cards and information, so they can come to you directly later.

-- Joan Murray (no relation) (alandjoan@juno.com), February 21, 2002.

Hi Nicole,

We saw a recent article in the Capital Press Ag newspaper that says they have changed the rules here in WA. There is a farm from Kent (I believe) that was featured and they were allowed to sell pork at a farmers market. The product had to be USDA inspected, then frozen and sold frozen. If you want more info, E-mail me directly and I will give you the name of the farm etc. Darlene

-- Darlene in W WA (tomdarsavy@cs.com), February 22, 2002.