It Ain’t Done Yet: The Processing Problem Washington Is Finally Paying Attention To

For years, small livestock farmers and ranchers have been saying the same thing: access to processing is one of the biggest obstacles to getting locally raised meat to customers.

In this episode of One Bite is Everything, Dana DiPrima revisits two earlier conversations that show just how long this problem has persisted.

In 2022, Carrie Edsall of Black Willow Pond Farm described what happened when a processing appointment she had booked more than a year in advance disappeared while finished pigs were literally sitting on the trailer. Her story reveals how few alternatives many farmers have, why the right kind of inspection matters, and how quickly extra driving, lost time and unavailable appointments become real costs for a small farm.

In a later conversation, local-food advocate Liz Reitzig explained the regulatory bottleneck behind some of those problems, including the distinction between USDA-inspected and custom-exempt processing and the proposed changes contained in the PRIME Act.

Now, in September 2026, Washington is finally taking up many of the same issues.

A September 4 executive order directs USDA to examine barriers to interstate meat sales, expand support for small and regional processors, increase participation in existing interstate inspection programs, address competition in livestock markets, and identify federal barriers affecting state-inspected and custom-exempt meat.

But the executive order is not a finished solution.

Some changes can be made administratively. Others may require changes to federal law. The PRIME Act remains before Congress. USDA has been given deadlines to study important barriers and make recommendations. And none of it matters ultimately unless policy changes translate into something tangible for farmers: more viable processors, more appropriate processing capacity, workable market access, and appointments when animals are ready.

Farmers and ranchers have spent years pushing this issue into public view. Washington is finally paying attention.

The deal isn’t done yet.

In this episode

Carrie Edsall of Black Willow Pond Farm on what happens when a processing appointment disappears, the hidden costs farmers absorb when processing is hours away, and why access to custom processing doesn’t necessarily allow a farmer to sell meat through the markets their business depends on.