Making the cut

If you want locally butchered pork, there are several meat processors in the area you can go to including Weaver Meats in Afton, Corning Meat Processing and Community Meat Processors in Mount Ayr.

Weaver Meats

Owner Kyle Weaver reopened Weaver Meats in Afton two years ago. Originally, his grandfather ran the business for 30 years. Then, it was closed for 10 years before Weaver got it going again.

Now, Weaver runs the company with four employees. They process meat for customers as well as purchase meat from local vendors – primarily Iowa Premium Pork – to be processed and sold.

“Most of our meat is client-based,” Weaver said. “Customers or farmers bring meat in, and we process it for them in whatever cuts or styles they want. We also order from various vendors in the state for our retail line.”

On average, Weaver Meats processes about 300 hogs or approximately 55,000 pounds of pork each year.

“We’re custom, not USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), so we don’t buy live animals from local farmers,” Weaver said.

If a customer wants to buy a hog, Weaver puts him or her in touch with a producer and will later process the meat.

Customers may purchase meat directly from Weaver Meats, too. For pork, meat is sold as a whole pig, half of a pig or simply by the pound.

“A lot of people like it because it’s convenient, and you know where (the meat) came from,” Weaver said.

Weaver’s retail line features a variety of pork products, including pork loin back ribs, summer sausages and pork sticks.

Joe Waigand of Thayer has been bringing in some of his brother’s hogs for years – since Weaver’s grandfather owned the business. He stops in about once a month to have hogs processed and occasionally buys bacon or summer sausage from the retail line.

“It’s great to have a local guy doing the business,” Waigand said. “Kyle does a tremendous job with the meat and has been very (accommodating) to get us whatever we want.”

Weaver Meats also processes beef, deer and sheep and is available for catering.

Corning Meat Processing

As a state-inspected plant, Corning Meat Processing can accept live hogs to be slaughtered and processed. Owner Dave Walter also has a retail line, so consumers may either bring in their pork to be processed or buy from his line.

“I can hook (customers) up with a whole pig or half a pig, or they can buy from my retail meat case – whatever pieces or portions they’d like,” Walter said.

When Walter orders pork, he chooses suppliers like Potthoff Foods in Des Moines and Farner-Bocken in Carroll.

Corning Meat Processing was established in 1985. After being an employee for 15 years, Walter bought the business and has now owned it for about 15 years. He has four employees, plus his wife Kim is involved.

While the company processes other types of meat, too, Walter said roughly 12,000 pounds are processed each year in pork alone.

Paul Johnson of Creston brings hogs to Corning Meat Processing a couples times per year. “Prompt, courteous, good service” is the reason Johnson chooses Walter’s business.

Corning Meat Processing does some catering and provides meat for special projects, such as Food for Life.

“I also make several different types of pork brats for grilling and pork sticks,” Walter said.

Community Meat Processors

In Mount Ayr, Community Meat Processors processes about 325 hogs or approximately 60,000 pounds of pork each year.

“Our cured products are all hickory smoked, with no artificial smoke,” said owner David Freed. “It’s all natural.”

The company was established in the 1960s, and Freed bought it in 2000. He currently has three employees.

As a custom operation, rather than USDA-inspected, Community Meat Processors processes hogs brought in by farmers.

David Shiflett of Mount Ayr takes beef regularly and hogs about once a year to Community Meat Processors.

“He (Freed) does a really good job; it always tastes the same every time,” Shiflett said. “They treat me nice there, and the locker is very clean.”

If a customer wants to buy a hog, Freed puts him or her in touch with a producer and will later process the meat. Freed also has a retail line.

“If they want bacon, loins, ham – whatever they want, we get it for them,” Freed said.

When he has to order meat, he typically gets it from Marko’s Foods in Princeton, Missouri. Customers may buy a half or whole hog.

Community Meat Processors also processes beef, lamb and goat.