According to North Carolina regulations, Conway CANNOT SELL meat from a pig slaughtered on his farm.
Farmers may slaughter animals of their own raising for use by themselves, their families, and nonpaying guests. Such meats may not be sold into commerce.
The only way he can sell meat he has raised is to register as a meat handler and his livestock must be slaughtered and packed at a facility which complies with all food health and safety regulations. He can sell that product.
The story line (as portrayed in that episode - raise, slaughter, cure, and sell the meat) would be, as far as I can tell, illegal.
http://www.ncagr.gov/meatpoultry/info.htm
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BiffGG
8 years ago
Eustace could probably start his own facility but most likely that would be cost prohibitive. My understanding is the Amish and Mennonites in the rural ares do their own processing for resale so it is not about having a massive packing plant. Just a matter of spending the money necessary to comply with state and federal regulations.
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Cydnee9999
8 years ago
Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't Conway want to raise the pig, slaughter the pig on his farm, cure the ham ,etc. in his smoke house and SELL the finished product at a farmer's market, a store on his property, where ever?
If so, a simple reading of the NC regs says he can't do that. Neither can the Amish,Mennonites, nor anyone else for that matter.
They must either become a regulated meat processing facility or use a regulated meat processing facility to process their livestock for them to SELL their meat products.
Conway goes on and on about "making this work", so what does that mean exactly?
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BiffGG
8 years ago
I thought my reply was clear on the Mennonites and Amish but I will rephrase. If either of those sell meat they do the necessary steps to be legal in the state they sell in. I never meant to imply they were doing what Eustace is doing but would guess that for the purpose of bartering with a neighbor that they forgo complying with the law. It is the same with milk production that facilities used to milk the cows and process the milk must meet all state and federal regulations. The Mennonites and Amish due to their religion are not exempt in any way. It is difficult to bypass this other than when you want to barter with the neighbor. It used to be that vegetable and fruit stands would work strictly cash and not report the income made. Nowadays the mom and pop stands have a register that all sales go through and it is for the purpose to insure taxes are collected. It's not impossible to bypass the state all though it limits you to people you closely know so as not to get blown into the state or federal authorities.
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