Farm Bureau pushes for direct-to-consumer meat sales

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-Direct markets were the focus of the Idaho Farm Bureau 81st annual meeting, held virtually from Pocatello this week. It ended with three proposals seeking to make it easier for consumers to purchase meat directly from ranchers.

“The idea here is to think outside the box: How do we get safe, inspected beef to consumers in a different way?” said Lori Anne Lau, president of Caribou County Farm Bureau, which supported the proposals.

Farm Bureau officials said it maintain a safe meat inspection process, but simplify a direct pathway to consumers.

Delegates unanimously adopted a policy supporting one statewide licensing program to allow for the sale of bulk meat to individuals. As it works now, a producer must get a livestock dealer's license and a food establishment license in each health district where they want to sell.

There are seven health districts in Idaho and getting licenses in each one is time-consuming and expensive, said Kaytlin Abrahamson, president of Gooding-Lincoln County Farm Bureau, which introduced that proposal.
The delegates also supported a state meat inspection program that would allow for the commercial sale of meat within the state. That police also suports creation of more processing facilities in rural areas. It would also allow large animal veterinarians to become certified meat inspectors under state guidelines.

“It’s very hard to get federal inspection in central Idaho so we’re losing a lot of sales,” said Valley-Adams Farm Bureau President Dean Dryden.

The delegates also voted in favor of a policy that supports allowing states to create a standard of meat inspection for meat sold within the states that is different than the federal program but equally protective.

Idaho Farm Bureau President Bryan Searle of Shelley said the year 2020 has been a challenge. “As difficult as it’s been, we’ve developed stronger relationships with all of the other ag organizations in this state and nation,” said Searle, a farmer from Shelley. “It doesn’t mean we agree on everything but we’re stronger together because a world pandemic has brought us together to say, What can we do?”