VSU's Small Ruminant Mobile Meat Processing Lab

VSU’s Small Ruminant Mobile Meat Processing Lab provides slaughter and processing services in Petersburg, Virginia, serving farms throughout the central Virginia region near Richmond.

The mobile unit is equipped to handle cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs, offering an alternative to fixed-site processing for producers who need on-farm or nearby slaughter and cut-and-wrap services. This flexibility can reduce animal stress and transport time, which matters to small-scale and diversified livestock operations working with limited numbers of animals or seasonal harvest schedules.

As a program connected to Virginia State University, the lab supports research and education around small ruminant and mixed-species meat processing while also meeting practical needs for local farmers, homesteaders, and 4-H or FFA producers. It’s a resource worth considering for anyone raising cattle, sheep, goats, or pigs who wants processing done closer to home rather than hauling animals long distances to a traditional plant.