Cattle in pasture - file photo

By Dori Modney

On-Farm Slaughter Operations proving popular in Alberta

Apr 14, 2021 | 1:46 PM

EDMONTON, AB. — The more than 170 licences already applied for proves there is enormous interest in Alberta’s new On-Farm Slaughter Operation (OFSO). Alberta Agriculture and Forestry executive director, Wanda Aubee, sees it another way.

“The licences are providing opportunities for farm-to-fork food supply from Alberta livestock producers to Alberta consumers.”

The Alberta Government amended the provincial Meat Inspection Regulation in July of 2020. It now permits the licensing of the new operation, which allows a farmer to sell an animal direct to a consumer, with all the meat from that animal going to the purchaser for their own household consumption.

This licence allows a livestock producer to sell the live animal to a customer, who can then have the animal slaughtered and processed on the farm. The producer or another individual can slaughter the animal if it is done humanely and safely.

This meat is uninspected and cannot be distributed or sold in any form, from any venue, including at the farm gate.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

The first OFSO licence was issued by Alberta Agriculture on August 26, 2020. Since then, there have been 177 licences issued in Alberta, for possible on-farm direct to consumer slaughter and processing.

As of December 31, 2020, 728 animals were slaughtered under this new slaughter licence. The majority of animals slaughtered were poultry, at 442, followed by beef and pork, each at 79 head.

Aubee expects a continued increase in this type of on-farm sale.

“It is anticipated that the uptake of outdoor field slaughter under an OFSO licence will increase with the approach of warmer weather and as producers are better able to predict and build the demand for their animals, into their business planning and herd/flock size.”

Find out more about the On-Farm Slaughter Operation licence online, or email questions to af.foodsafety@gov.ab.ca.

For local news delivered daily to your email inbox, subscribe for free to the Lethbridge News Now newsletter here. You can also download the Lethbridge News Now mobile app in the Google Play and the Apple App Stores.