On-Farm Slaughter: Update & SFAD Testimony

In a recent letter to the State of Vermont, the USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) continued to render an opinion that Vermont's practice of on-farm slaughter does not meet FSIS' interpretation of the federal law. The letter arrived without letterhead or a signature and used language that is blatantly contradictory. The letter further negates the existence of Vermont's on-farm slaughter law by stating: “the personal use exemption requires all owners to be individuals who were involved in the raising of the animal” AND “There is no provision in the statute or regulations allowing the use of third-party itinerant slaughterers under the personal use exemption.”

At this point, only a lawsuit would result in an injunction and thus the protection of farmers and livestock owners to go about their business as usual without needing to fear VAAFM or FSIS law enforcement at the risk of losing their good standing with the agency and the access to state programs and funds in the future. Absent attorneys on staff, Rural Vermont is seeking partnerships with organizations that would be able to provide legal representation to all itinerant slaughterers, farmers and livestock owners affected.

Rural Vermont has been organizing and advocating with you for on-farm slaughter for over a decade and we are painfully aware that this news does risk and may even put at halt businesses you have been growing on the grounds of the food sovereignty we’ve been creating together. This is not just an assault to on-farm slaughter, this is an assault to our democracy as we’ve been achieving our RIGHT to perform on-farm slaughter through advancements of the law in the democratic process. 

On March 24, members of the on-farm slaughter community joined NOFA-VT and Rural Vermont to testify in front of House and Senate Ag committees.

Watch the recording below:

Stay tuned for more updates and next ACTION steps!