Quality, pasture-raised animal products should be accessible to everyone – no matter where you live. However, federal regulation currently requires that meat sold to consumers must be slaughtered and processed in a USDA inspected facility. The problem? There’s only a handful of these facilities available across the United States. And in some places it’s logistically impossible for farmers to get their animals to such a facility. The result? Fewer choices for consumers and an unfair playing field for small farmers up against an already one-sided battle against Big Ag. The PRIME Act could fix this.
Pastured Meat and Dairy? Yes Please!
If you read my blog or simply check out my about page, you know I am an advocate for sustainably raised, pastured fed animal products (and plants!). In 2015 I wrote a post titled “Wait, Am I a Vegetarian?” in which I poked fun at myself for eating so little meat, but not really identifying with the values or reason most other vegetarians point to. Since then, I’ve actually increased my consumption of animal products (namely eggs, ghee and raw milk from pastured cows, but also pork and chicken direct from the farm). But my diet remains mostly plant-based.
One huge benefit from moving from the suburbs of Seattle to the rural area 45 minutes outside of Austin is that I live amongst farmers. Literally a few miles down the road is Mockingbird Farm, the self described “Home of Happy Meat”. And about 40 minutes away is The Jersey Barnyard, a 4th generation, 100 year old farm that produces some of the most phenomenal raw milk I’ve ever tasted! And at prices that have me in happy tears (compared to Seattle it’s incredible). As the result, my trips to the “supermarket” have been cut in half.
Unequal Access
But not everyone is as lucky as I am to live around farmers. This is where the PRIME Act comes in. In the great state of Texas (and by great, I mean it’s size) there is only 21 Slaughter Plants. Back in Washington State, there’s only 10. And remember, not all (in fact most!) of these facilities accept animals from small farmers. Compound that with the challenges COVID-19 has created, and you got yourself a down-right conundrum larger than the state of Texas itself.
The PRIME Act offers an obvious solution: Put control back in the state’s hands. Allow meat to be processed by custom slaughterhouses that still meet state and basic federal regulations. This simple change would greatly improve access to slaughter facilities for small farmers and ranchers, and in turn provide improved consumer access to their products!
Not it’s First Rodeo
This isn’t the first time the PRIME Act has been up for vote. In fact, it’s been proposed for the past 5 years – since 2015. But this year the need for improved access to slaughter facilities has never been greater. And with greater pain, comes greater awareness (it’s kinda like when you finally broke down and bought an office chair after 6 months of struggling to work using a dining room chair last year!). Check out farmtoconsumer.org to learn what you can do to support the Prime Act!