1. Is meat sold on-site?
Meatworks provides the general public direct access to local, wholesome, healthy meat products through our on-site store. We also have a platform that connects the general public who has interest in buying meat products in bulk with a local producer in our region.     

2. Are there training opportunities for butcher skills?
Meatworks will provide apprentice training in the latest techniques used in meat processing within the industry. We will also strive to provide a platform to higher education institutions to use for training and educating their students. Join our newsletter for news on the launch of these programs in 2020.

3. How are the animals unloaded from trucks?
Trailers will back up to a dock that has been designed to the floor height of a typical livestock trailer. They will be off loaded into a receiving pen that has solid sides. Solid sides prevent the animals from seeing distractions outside the receiving pen.

4.How long are animals held at Meatworks prior to slaughter? If held overnight, will they be fed and have access to water?
Once livestock is unloaded at Meatworks, livestock will be held in a clean indoor pen with access to clean water. The amount of time they will be held will vary based on the species and stress level of each individual animal. On average, livestock are held overnight, or at a minimum, held for 2 to 4 hours. In the event livestock have to be held longer than 24 hours they will be fed and placed in a pen with ample space for the animal to lie down.  

5. What size are the pens the animals will be held in and how many animals per pen?
We have 8 ft. X 6 ft. 8 ft. X 10 ft. and 8 ft. by 12 ft. pens. The amount of animals per pen will depend on the species, size and quantity that each producer brings in. Cattle require 20 sq. ft.  per animal while market pigs require 6 sq. ft. per animal. Meatworks will keep livestock segregated by producer to ensure traceability.

6. Will passersby be able to view the facility and animals?
No, the facility is on a wooded site about a 1/4 mile off the road and the holding pens are in a fully enclosed barn.

7. What sounds, if any, might be coming from the facility?
Very little, if any, sound will come from the facility. Any sound that comes from the facility would be the sound of trucks driving.  Meatworks is located in an industrial area, away from residential homes, and we do not anticipate our trucks creating any noise that isn’t currently a part of the highly used Route 6 where we are located.

8. How are inedible materials removed from the facility?
Inedible material is stored in an indoor refrigerated room. It will be picked up once or twice per week in a fully sealed transport truck and taken to a rendering facility, per guidelines set forth by the Department of Transportation.

9. What is Meatworks doing to ensure no odors are edited from the facility?
Meatworks will not store any organic material outside and all trash will be placed in a lidded trash dumpster.

10. How many animals will be processed at Meatworks per day?
Meatworks has the capacity to process 16-20 beef equivalents per day.

11. How will Meatworks ensure humane and respectful treatment of animals?
Humane treatment and respect for livestock is a vital part of Meatworks culture. We will abide by all USDA regulations and provide our staff with a robust training program. We will perform routine audits to confirm we are in compliance and will be certified humane by a 3rd party.

12. Will there be any traffic impact on the community? How many additional trucks/day will be coming in/out of the facility?
TLI does not foresee any additional traffic impact on the community. State Road (Route 6) is already very busy, and the addition of a few trucks destined for or leaving Meatworks will have no impact on current traffic trends.

13. What is the dispatch process for the livestock and how is this respectful to animals?
Meatworks will use stunning methods that will render the animals unconscious immediately without feeling any pain. Employees that will carry out this task will be trained on the importance of this step and the proper use of the devices. Equipment will be serviced on a regular basis to ensure functionality. An onsite USDA inspector will ensure proper methods are utilized; the USDA has a zero tolerance for error policy that Meatworks will abide by.