Ecological Farming Association 

Soquel, CA

AMS GRANTS AWARDED

Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) 2014

Planning Grant for $25,000 

Project types: General Market Analysis, Enterprise 

Planning, Education & Outreach

HISTORY OF BUSINESS OR PROJECT

Founded in 1981 in Soquel, California, the Ecological 

Farming Association (Eco-Farm) has operated as a nonprofit educational organization to nurture safe, healthy, 

just, and ecologically sustainable farms, food systems, 

and communities. They accomplish this by bringing 

people together for education, alliance building, 

advocacy, and celebration.

Eco-Farm originally proposed hiring a well-known 

consultant to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study 

of a multi-species meat slaughterhouse in the Monterey 

Bay region (and neighboring counties). Producers in 

the California central coast region initiated the project 

with the goal of increasing USDA-inspected processing 

capacity and wanted to evaluate the economic 

feasibility of building a new plant. 

Eco-Farm asked the Niche Meat Processor Assistance 

Network (NMPAN) staff for guidance, and they 

proposed a different, less expensive approach, called 

Utilize a rapid assessment instead of a comprehensive feasibility study to save both time and 

money while still providing key answers.

a rapid assessment. The rapid assessment report was 

not only far less expensive and more accurate but also 

propelled the group toward more timely, actionable 

information about a modular, USDA-inspected 

processing option for pork and poultry. The California 

Center for Cooperative Development also assisted on 

the project team by conducting producer surveys and 

helping with data analysis.

WHY THEY CHOSE TO APPLY FOR AN AMS 

GRANT/WHAT AN AMS GRANT MEANT FOR 

THEIR BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION?

Eco-Farm would not have done the study without the 

support of USDA AMS. Although producers in their 

region had long requested this research, Eco-Farm did 

not have the staff expertise or resources to address 

the needs of livestock/poultry producers. This grant 

kickstarted a multi-year conversation and added some 

important data and context to the discussions around 

potential solutions, allowing producers to network in a 

more collaborative way.

KEY IMPACTS OF THE GRANT, 

SHORT-TERM AND LONGER-TERM

According to the Eco-Farm website, the team concluded 

“there is not sufficient regional production to support 

a typical full-service slaughter facility. However, a 

Agricultural

Marketing 

Service

March 2020
separate analysis points to enough poultry and pork 

production in the region to support a “Plant in a Box” 

(PIB) that could be an alternative to a full production 

USDA inspected facility.” Some poultry farmers looked 

into individually installing a PIB on their properties or 

going in on one together, but their momentum fizzled 

due to economic constraints, one producer ceasing 

operations and one farmer not having secured land. 

Producers in nearby San Mateo and Sonoma counties 

have also investigated the PIB alternative, but no one 

has committed. 

Some producers surveyed for this study are no longer in 

business, while other new ones have started. The meat 

processing space has changed in some key areas over 

the last few years, so another study may be of interest 

to see how volume and options have evolved. 

Though a PIB has not been developed in this region, 

the studies developed through this project provided 

valuable information on what it would take to establish 

one (animal units, seasonality, labor, etc.). An involved 

grassfed beef producer stated: “I think the project was 

useful and there were a lot of connections made in 

the process.” 

WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO NEXT

Producers in the region still struggle to obtain 

appropriate slaughter dates for their animals and 

continue to lack the option of USDA-inspected poultry 

processing. Given this continued challenge, the report 

suggested several possible next steps, including:

• Shared Transportation: Reduce hauling costs 

by coordinating with other producers who are 

traveling to and from processors;

• Active Scheduling: Take advantage of the 

“slow season” at local processing facilities by 

adjusting feeding and finishing schedules;

• Organize: Work with other producers 

to streamline processing and provide 

steady, reliable throughput to processors. 

Larger, steadier volumes may allow price of 

service negotiation;

• Increased Sales = Increased Production: Expand 

marketing and distribution to increase livestock 

numbers. More livestock equals more demand 

for processing services;

• Financial Investment: Work with local 

processors to help finance the changes the 

local industry wants to see;

• Communication: What do you need to improve 

your relationship with local processors? What 

do they need from you or elsewhere? 

• Increased Commitment from Buyers: 

Processors need producer commitment and 

producers need buyers to commit. How much 

meat will they buy, at what price, over what 

period of time? Can producers sell 

the whole carcass through those sales 

channels? Does that translate into viable 

economics for producers?

REFERENCES/LINKS

https://eco-farm.org/conference/2016/session/

discussion-group-central-coast-meat-producers

https://eco-farm.org/sites/default/files/Survey results 

Jan 2016 presentation.pdf

https://eco-farm.org/sites/default/files/Central Coast 

Project Report FINAL %28Oct.2015%29.pdf

CONTACT INFORMATION

Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network

Rebecca Thistlethwaite

Email: thistler@oregonstate.edu

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

Samantha Schaffstall

Email: samantha.schaffstall@usda.gov

This case study was 

created in fulfillment 

of a cooperative 

research agreement 

between the 

Marketing Services 

Division of the Agricultural Marketing Service of the 

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA AMS) 

and Oregon State University’s Niche Meat Processor 

Assistance Network (NMPAN).

Photo Credit: USDA

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, 

and lender.