A Worcester County cattle farmer was granted permission to slaughter cows for butchering on his own property instead of having to outsource the job.
Call it the Ewell Rule. It was farmer Bob Ewell of Newark who successfully petitioned Worcester County officials earlier this year to tweak the county code, making in-house livestock slaughtering a permitted use in agriculturally zoned areas – but only when zoning officials give the OK as a special exception.
Ewell did just that, appearing Nov. 14 before the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA). The board unanimously approved his special exception because he met the requirements. Now he’ll be able to sell beef he butchered himself at his Fresh Cut Butcher Shop, located off Route 113 at Croppers Island Road.
For personal use, one can cull as many cattle as they want, and the law doesn’t interfere. But in order to sell butchered beef at market, cows have to be processed under USDA supervision. Ewell did this by having his cattle slaughtered out-of state, at an annual cost of about $34,000, he told the BZA.
In a new slaughterhouse he’ll construct on his farmland, Ewell said he plans to process up to three cows a week, based on demand. A cattle farmer for 36 years, Ewell said he keeps about 75 head of cattle on his pasture and feed lot.
Excellent – local farmers can avoid paying someone else to be supervised by the FDA.
We will try to become a regular customer!