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Butcher Apprenticeship Notes

3 min read

Introduction Talking Points

  • No antibiotics, ever. If an animal needs antibiotic treatment, it is separated from those bought by our Meat department.
  • No added growth hormones through feed, injections, implants, or any other method. (Federal regulations allow the use of hormones when raising cattle and lambs, but we don’t.)
  • No animal by-products in the feed, including feather meal or rendered fat.
  • Beef cattle, sheep, and goats must spend at least two-thirds of their life on pasture.
  • No crates, cages, or tethers are permitted.
  • Animal producers must meet our standards for how the animals are raised, transported, and slaughtered.
  • A traceable audit system is required that tracks animals from birth to slaughter.
  • Required inspections for animal welfare at slaughter, using criteria and areas of evaluation developed by Dr. Temple Grandin.

Global Animal Partnership

Steps

Step 1 - 100+ standards; no cages, crates, or crowding Step 2 - Enrichments provided to encourage natural behavior Step 3 - Access to outdoors with environmental enrichments Step 4 - Raised on pasture; no feedlots Step 5 - Raised on pasture; no physical alterations Step 5+ - Entire life on the same farm

Top callouts for the Meat department:

  • No antibiotics ever
  • No added hormones are administered through feed, injections, implants, or any other method.
  • No animal by-products, such as feather meal or rendered fat, are in the animals’ feed
  • Traceable to farms and ranches
  • Required inspections for animal welfare at slaughter
  • 100+ animal welfare standards for beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, and goat
  • Global Animal Partnership Animal Welfare Certified beef, pork, chicken, lamb, goat, and turkey (except kosher turkey and kosher chicken)
  • No synthetic nitrates or nitrites (note: this ingredient standard applies across the store, such as in all ham, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, charcuterie)

Organics Key Points

  • Preparing each piece of equipment for use with organics before it is used by removing sanitizer residue and logging the step on the Residue Removal Log.
  • Working with organic items first whenever there is organic production.
  • Keeping organics completely separated throughout the department, especially as you work in the cutting room.
  • Maintaining proper labeling on both organic backstock items and items being sold.
  • Completing any record keeping required for organics.

Soil Health Principles

Key Points

Living Roots: Maintain a living root system year-round to promote an ongoing soil ecosystem. Minimize Soil Disturbance: Decrease the amount of physical (tillage) and chemical (inputs) disturbance to the soil ecology. Animal Integration: Integrate strategic rotational grazing and other animal management practices to improve soil fertility through increased microbial density and organic matter, such as manure. Keep Soil Covered: Maximize soil, cover to protect against erosion and improve water retention. Diversity and Biodiversity: Increase the variety of life forms in and around the soil including microbial flora and fauna.

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