true
livelihood
them out somewhere else,
and then bring them back in
for th§ bologna trade. Why
can’t somebody, here, in this
area, do it?”
However, that task was a
challenge which the but
chers had to meet. They
began by approaching the
various bologna and ham
burger firms in the area, and
once they had a market for
their boneless beef, they had
to find an avenue for the
primal cuts, such as eye
rolls, strips, porterhouse
steaks, the tenderloins, and
seaned rounds.
“Through contacts, we
were able to get a market for
all the parts of the cow,”
noted Hostetter. Those
markets include sales
avenues for hides, bone's, the
offal, pancreas glands and
bile.
Once their marketing lines
were established, the shop
really got down to business.
They first began butchering
two cows a week, and
eventuually grew to the point
that they needed to butcher
for two days per week. Now,
they are federally inspected
for slaughter five days each
week. Their boning
operation is also USDA in
spected. At this point, Tice
estimates that, after being in
lETAILS & PRICE
D.E. SMITH, INC.
Mifflintown, Ra. 17059
Phone 717-436-2151
IVTON
ICO.
aware 19933
337-8211
ROYER’S FARM
SERVICE
R.D. #1
l Wmfiel9)a. 17889
Phene 717-837-3201
business less than two years,
their volume per week is
approximately 25,000 pounds
of boneless beef.
' Right now there are 12 to
15 employees at the shop
including the truckers and
the boning and slaughter
crews. Tice is the head boner
and his wife fills the roles of
bookkeeper, secretary,
boner, and packer.
Hostetter works on the kill
floor and does tiie majority
of the livestock
procurement. He, himself,
does the bidding at six to
eight sales per week. All
told, the shop draws from
approximately 12 livestock
markets over southeatem
Pennsylvania and
Maryland.
For Hostetler, the life on
the road both at and between
livestock sales is a hectic
one. One day’s sales can be
widely distant as Lancaster,
Stewartstown, New Holland,
and Rising Sun, Md.
Being a relatively young
firm that processes only 75 to
80 cows per week in com
parison to a larger packing
firm that may slaughter 300
animals, Host Acres has to
be selective and careful
when buying their cows at
market.
“When you’re buying
BUILDERS FOR THE FARMER WHO’S IN BUSINESS TO STAY
SUNNY MEAD SALES TEMCO PARTS CO. INC. C.H. WALTZ SONS INC.
R.O. #3, Box 409 Route 213 and 544 Cogan Station, Pa. 17728
.Altoona, Pa 16601 Chestertown, Md. 21620 Phone 717-435-2921
Phone 814-944-6045 Phone 301-778-4454
GLENN M. ST AH LM AN TAP ENTERPRISES INC.
R.O. #l, Cash Valley Road
Cumberland, Md. 21502
Phone 301-777-0582
0
The boning operation at Host Acres Farms Quality Meats is done the day following slaughter.
cows, you really have to that she is a bad buy. If cow the butcher shop buys is
have a keen eye,” states you’re sharp, you can really a gamble, if looked at
Hostetter. “We buy cull cows usually tell a good cow from in these terms,
and some bulls, and there is a bad one.” “Oh, we get the hide and
always a reason for those Hostetter points out that if some other products off the
animals to be culled from the he buys an animal and she is cow even if she is con
herd. Most of the time its condemned, he and Tice lose demned. But that may not
either because they don’t anywhere from $3OO to $4OO even pay for the costs of
settle, aren’t good per animal, which “hurts the operating our kill floor per
producers, have sore feet, or pocket”, as he puts it. hour, nor the trucking costs
some other similar reason, He also says that even a and all that is involved in
but there are instances well trained eye can’t spot slaughtering her,” he points
where the animal is that sick some problems, and so every out
R.D. #3, Box 256 A
Fleetwood, Pa. 19522
Phone 215-929-2884
v
%
V <* W
TRI-STATE MARINE
DIST. INC.
Route 256
Deale. Md. 20751
Phone 301-867-1447
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 4,1978
"i*
- "ir
P. E. Hess, Butler Mfg. Co.
Box 337, Oxford, PA 19363
I’m interested in more information on Butler products
□ Buildings □ Bins □ Dryers □ Bulk-0 Matics
Name
Address
County.
Phone
/✓s/
But, the risk is worth it
because they have a good
market.
“Right now, there are a lot
of people eating ham
burger,” says Hostetter,
“and this is where you get
the meat.”
The primal cuts from the
best slaughter cows are sold
to a wholesaler and the
(Turn to Page 27)
AGRI-BUILDER
State.
21
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>.