North Prairie Butchery coming to Faulkton

For years the Faulkton community has heard talk about how much a butchery is needed in Faulkton. Well, Troy and Stacy Hadrick finally have that in sites for the Faulkton Community as construction on a butchery will happen just east of Faulkton right next to the new Homan Hardware store. Construction for the butchery is scheduled to start the spring of 2023 and be completed by spring of 2024. Faulk County Record sat down with Troy Hadrick and talked about the soon-to-be North Prairie Butchery. Troy stated “Stacy and I have been working on this project for over a year. We started with investigating the “what if’s” and “how’s”. Though there are still some pieces of the puzzle to work on to help get to the final stages.”

One major step forward for this endeavor was that the North Prairie Butchery was 1 of 21 projects selected by the USDA out of 317 applications for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) (North Prairie Butchery was the only one from South Dakota). The USDA grant allows the North Prairie Butchery to get things started, though a lot more work still needs to be completed before everything is all said and done. Th ough the grant was a big project all its own, Troy stated “To get excepted for the USDA grant they had to have a very detailed business plan which consisted of about 400 plus pages of all the details on what the plan is for the butchery”.

When the butchery hits the full compacity of 25 head per day North Prairie Butchery will employ 35 people. For Future reference if the butchery would need to expand Troy and Stacy have that already in the plans to make it happen if need be.

If you want to see how you can help support the butchery contact Troy Hadrick by either emailing troyhad@gmail.com or calling 605- 347-1182 or Stacy Hadrick stacy. hadrick@gmail.com 605-347-1195.

Meet the Hadricks

North Praire Butchery is being developed by Troy and Stacy Hadrick, who will serve as majority owners and will oversee every aspect of the business. We are both 5th generation American ranchers. Troy graduated from South Dakota State University (SDSU) with a degree in Animal Science. He also participated on the Meats Judging Team which provided him with pivotal experiences in packing plants across the United States. It further fueled his desire to raise cattle that produce the highest quality beef. Stacy Hadrick graduated from SDSU with degrees in Economics and Ag Business. Her career has been spent with SDSU helping producers evaluate their businesses for enterprise profitability.

They have first hand knowledge of the beef industry from start to finish. Th rough our extensive experiences we understand BOTH what the producer needs in terms of processing and grid based payment. As cow/calf producers we have developed an outstanding beef cattle herd through genetic selection for high grading cattle. Th ose livestock are retained and sold directly to the larger packers utilizing grid pricing. We have also worked to cultivate industry relationships, which has allowed us to develop an extensive network of restaurant owners, chefs, and meat service providers, throughout South Dakota and the greater United States. Leveraging our experiences and understanding of the industry makes us poised to take on this new venture. Currently we supply beef to three restaurants in Sioux Falls, one in Faulkton and numerous private individuals.

We’ve worked hard to connect with what consumers are looking for in a quality eating experience and emotional connection to where their food comes from.

Where’s the Beef?

That was the question producers, restaurants and consumers were left asking after the Covid-19 pandemic exposed weakness in the meat processing system. The nation was forced to admit that too much of our meat processing capacity is concentrated into few facilities owned by too few companies. At any point, if just one of those facilities is aff ected by a disruption it sends shockwaves that impact farming and ranching families, restaurant owners and households everywhere.

We’ve personally experienced this disruption within our family ranching business before the pandemic. We have fed our cattle in Kansas feedyards since 2014. It made sense for our business goals to feed them to market weight in a more temperate climate and located near several major processing plants. This plan had worked well until 2019 when the Tyson plant in Holcomb, KS had a major fire. Our cattle were scheduled for harvest at that very facility just a few days later. With that plant closed we couldn’t fi nd another processor for over a month. In the meantime prices dropped because of too many cattle and not enough processing slots. Unfortunately that was just a preview of things to come.

The Covid-19 Pandemic forced consumers to search out alternative meat sources to feed their families. Buying directly from a producer became more popular. Producers met the demand with available cattle, but the local butcher shop system had been neglected for decades and wasn’t equipped to handle the extreme demand. Immediately, small shops had harvest schedules booked 12 months or more in advance, which has continued to this point.

Restaurant owners that were able to stay open during the pandemic struggled with keeping meat on the menu due to the unmanageable costs and lack of supply. The instability caused restaurants to seek innovative ways to source the meat they needed. The growing demand for regional food systems reduces food miles, adds capacity to the system, and allows for producers and consumers to interact.

The relationships we built with consumers and restaurants over the past several years has led us to this point. As the recovery from the pandemic continued, those relationships quickly advanced, and new opportunities to market our beef exploded. We currently have to turn down business due to the lack of inspected processors in our state. The two processors we have available only handle a few head per week. Currently, there is no path forward for growth unless a new facility is built. This will continue leaving us exposed to market disruption.

The Plan - 25 Head Per Day Operation

We believe the solution to the meat supply chain problem is having smaller regional harvesting facilities. That is why our business plan has been developed for a 25 head per day combination beef, pork and bison processing plant with federal inspection. Livestock for processing will be purchased directly from producers and custom harvesting will also be an option for producers. This would be the largest federally inspected facility in the state of South Dakota that offers custom harvesting.

The facility will be located east of Faulkton, SD in the Faulkton Industrial Park along US Highway 212, which extends from Minneapolis to Yellowstone National Park. The location is ideal for the delivery of livestock and an excellent location for the onsite retail store that will offer a traditional butcher shop experience. This will be enjoyed by locals as well as travelers using this popular east-west route through South Dakota.

What Makes Us Different

Research: A project of this size requires extensive research. A third-party feasibility study was conducted and a business plan was written based off that information. Time and money has been invested in traveling to other plants of similar size to observe processes and flow.

A Developed Market: Th is project wouldn’t be considered if it was not for the local, strong meat demand. Our current customers are committed to seeing locally raised beef served in their restaurants. Inquires for our product has been requested and unfortunately not able to fill at this time.

Custom Harvest & Labels for Producers: We will provide custom harvesting for producers that desire to process more than a few head at a time. We will also help producers create their own custom label, allowing for expanded marketing opportunities and increased profitability. The plant will also give packaging options that are currently not available in area plants.

A Team of Experts: From the beginning we contracted with Protein Processors, a strong team of experts, to help navigate through the process. It’s imperative to have a strong management team in house to begin operations. Stacy Hadrick will serve as the General Manager and CEO and Troy Hadrick will serve as the Chief Strategy Officer. Other key management people with experience including an Operations Manager and Marketing Manager have been identified.

Further Processing for Further Profits: We will have the capacity and expertise to further process meat into a variety of products such as jerky, meat sticks, and brats, along with cutting and grinding. Dry aging and wet aging will also be offered. Where is it going to come from?

Sourcing Cattle: Family farmers and ranchers will be able to utilize this facility in two different ways. First, by getting their livestock custom harvested and packaged. North Prairie Butchery will help them develop their unique label that includes their name and logo. Producers can then direct market their meat anywhere in the United States since we are federally inspected. Second, North Prairie Butchery will purchase market ready cattle directly from producers so they have the opportunity to receive premiums for delivering cattle that grade and yield well, based off the plant grid.

Labor Force: Finding an adequate labor force is a concern for nearly every business today. North Prairie Butchery will offer a safe working environment in a new facility that pays above-average wages, provides benefits, and training. Significant investments will be made in equipment that reduces physical labor such as wheeled carts, automatic lift systems, carcass drops, and more. This will expand the labor pool we can draw from. Key management positions have been identified and with verbal commitments from three people with experience for our Operations Manager, Marketing Manager and General Manager positions. Marketing: North Prairie Butchery will allow for the expansion of the market outlets that the Hadricks have already established. The demand for high quality, locally grown meat is rapidly rising from consumers, restaurants, and retailers. This can only be filled by adding processing capacity in the state. The plant will have the full capacity for further processing including value-added products such as jerky, summer sausage, hams and bacon as well as producing ground beef and pork.

Article is courtesy of Faulk County Record