Short answer: If you buy a share from a farm, the farm usually books the processor and you just fill out the cut sheet[9]. If you're arranging it yourself, know that Florida has had no state meat inspection program since 1997, so USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) covers the state[1]. Processors are either custom-exempt (they process an animal for its owner only) or USDA-inspected[2].
Custom-exempt vs. USDA-inspected
- Custom-exempt: under federal rules, the meat is only for the owner's household, their non-paying guests and their employees, and it must be marked "Not for Sale"[3]. That's why many farms sell you a share of the live animal before it is processed. Fifty Ten Farms says its shares are processed under "custom exemption," so they must be picked up or delivered locally and can't be shipped[8].
- USDA-inspected: the plant is federally inspected, so the farm can package beef under its own brand and sell it as retail or wholesale cuts[2]. Fort McCoy Ranch, for example, says it runs its own USDA-inspected facility and also offers processing to other ranchers[7].
UF/IFAS Extension notes that the limited number of processors is a real constraint for Florida freezer beef[2]. Book early.
Processors named by Florida farms
We have not contacted these processors. They are listed because a farm names them on its own website.
- Braddock's Slaughter House, Seville, FL: pickup point for Barton Beef shares[5]
- Luker's Meat Processing, Atmore, AL (just over the line from the western Panhandle): used by Southern Oak Farms[6]
- Westville Meats: listed by Arrowhead Beef (Chipley) as a free pickup location[11]
- Fort McCoy Ranch, Fort McCoy, FL: says it offers USDA-inspected custom harvest and processing to ranchers[7]
How to search for more
- Ask the farm first. Brooksville Beef, for example, delivers the animal to the processor, and the butcher calls you to pick up[9].
- Look up plants in the FSIS Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection Directory[4].
- Ask the processor: lead time, cost per pound of hanging weight, kill fee, aging days, vacuum or paper wrap, and pickup window[10].
FAQ
Does Florida have a state meat inspection program?
No. Florida stopped running its state meat and poultry inspection programs in 1997, and USDA FSIS took over inspection in the state.
What does custom-exempt mean for a beef share?
The processor cuts the animal for its owner's household only, and the packages are marked 'Not for Sale' under 9 CFR 303.1. That's why many farms sell you a share of the live animal before processing.
Can a farm ship me custom-exempt beef?
Farms using custom-exempt processing generally can't ship it. Fifty Ten Farms says its custom-exempt shares are pickup or local delivery only.
Sources
- Federal Register, Nov 14, 1997: Designation of the State of Florida under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (final rule)
- UF/IFAS Extension Jackson County, Essential Beef Cattle Herd Management, Part 1 (Jul 24, 2026) (extension blog)
- eCFR, 9 CFR 303.1 Exemptions (custom slaughter) (federal regulation)
- USDA FSIS Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection Directory (official directory; opens in a normal browser, may block automated link checkers)
- Barton Beef, FAQ (pickup at Braddock's Slaughter House, Seville, FL) (seen Oct 27, 2026)
- Southern Oak Farms (Luker's Meat Processing, Atmore, AL) (seen Oct 27, 2026)
- Fort McCoy Ranch (USDA-inspected processing services) (seen Oct 27, 2026)
- Fifty Ten Farms, Half beef share (custom exemption, no shipping) (seen Oct 27, 2026)
- Brooksville Beef, The Process (seen Oct 27, 2026)
- University of Missouri Extension, Buying Meat Direct From the Farm (MX3001) (extension PDF)
- Arrowhead Beef, Bulk shares (pickup at Westville Meats) (seen Oct 27, 2026)