Jacob Brown came to us not long ago searching for work. My brother had recommended him after getting to know Jacob through their worship team at church. Jacob was very familiar with our processing facility as his Grandpa had brought beef in for years. His family was also some of the many families that lost hard earned work when we had our fire as their beef had been dry aging in the cooler at the time the fire broke out. As we sat down to explain to Jacob what we were looking for, new light was shone on the particular job we were hiring for. You see we were hiring for help on the slaughter floor, hoping that some day Jacob could be trained to manage the floor. As I explained to him the importance I thought of all those that work to give us choice.
Most American’s like to keep their knowledge of food’s history low. They like to imagine that the chicken really does come from a grocery store. They like to eat as many boneless items to forget the past of the protein that is nourishing their bodies. I spent a short time of my adult life as a new mother and wife too grossed out to cook a whole chicken because it looked too much like a chicken. Hmmm….. I think that is what I was trying to feed my family, chicken. But I preferred at that time to take chicken nuggets out of a bag and microwave them because it kept me separated from the chicken that it was. Then it was just protein. This is even the case in many butcher shops today. There is disconnect. The butcher shops have even gone to getting in boxes of meats from federally inspected large slaughter plants, cutting down or repackaging the meats and calling them different than what can be found in the large grocery stores. There is disconnect. When we want good meat, we have to know its history. We can’t begin to know that history unless it has been locally grown and processed in house. This all begins on the slaugther floor. The key to what makes us different lies on the slaughter floor. Small scale, humane handling, and 100% traceability set us apart and it all starts with the job Jacob Brown was applying for.
Now back to Jacob. I was able to explain to him just how important his job would be. No, it is not glamorous but it is the key to good local food raised and processed the way you desire. Jacob, like other men that work for us, was willing to dedicate his work to doing a good job to offer us choice. We are pleased that he joined us. He has become an excellent part of the team. The next time you drop off livestock, say hello to Jacob. The next time you eat some retail meat, think about the connection between farm and plate. It has to be processed and we work to offer you the best processing service we can.
