Boulder County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a change to land use code that will allow farmers and ranchers to slaughter, dress, process and package meat and poultry on site.
The changes are aimed at promoting a diverse and sustainable agricultural economy in the county, Dale Case, director of the county’s Land Use Department, told the Leader in August. The county’s review of zoning related to farming showed changes needed to be made to mirror shifts in local agriculture operations, he said.
“The restrictions on processing were identified by several farmers as a barrier to establishing a sustainable local food economy,” Case said in August. “The code did not recognize the small-scale processing these farmers need and lumped the use in with some of the more intensive operations.
The code changes, which include amendments suggested by the county Planning Commission on Oct. 21, will allow animals raised on site to be processed at permanent or mobile facilities that are set back at least 150 feet from property lines. Up to 10 animal units — which translates to 10 livestock, two swine and/or goats and 500 chickens — can be processed every 30 days. Processing includes but is not limited to slaughtering, butchering, dressing and packaging of meat and poultry products, per the language approved Tuesday by commissioners.
The amendment to the land use code was discussed at a brief virtual public hearing on Tuesday, during which only three people — all in favor of the change — addressed commissioners.
“I think we have the opportunity here to really bolster something that has been a long-standing tradition in Boulder County,” Niwot resident and 4H leader Aaron Richmond told commissioners.
The code change, Richmond said, would “be immensely beneficial not just to 4H and FFA use, but to small farms and people that are trying to have a smaller carbon footprint.”
He also praised the ability to process meat on site as a more humane option than transporting livestock to large processing plants.
Melanie Bohren, also a 4H leader and a member of the Boulder County Fair Board, told commissioners many 4H members who raise livestock are faced with a shortage of processing facilities both in the county and statewide.
That shortage is compounded by a fire in April at Innovative Foods in Evans, which prompted the plant to close for a time. It has since reopened, but has a backlog for processing, county planner Alberto De Los Rios told commissioners on Tuesday.
The changes, De Los Rios said, expand options for smaller farmers to be more sustainable and self-sufficient. He also said while they don’t address “everything,” they are a “step forward” for addressing the agricultural community’s needs.
Boulder resident John Icabone during Tuesday’s hearing said the change also allows the county to create a model to be emulated elsewhere.
Icabone, who told commissioners he envisions starting a mobile meat processing operation, said ranchers across the country have been facing a decrease in processing options since the 1970s. He said allowing farmers and ranchers to process animals on site eliminates transporting livestock and allows for composting of offal on the land where animals were raised.
“To have food that is grown in Boulder County processed and consumed in Boulder County” is a model that could be shared with other communities, he said.
Commissioners in their comments before the unanimous vote agreed the changes allow Boulder County to emerge as a leader in supporting local farmers and encouraging local food production. Elise Jones called it a first step in that direction — “the beginning of the journey, not the end” toward additional opportunities to foster sustainable agriculture in the county.
No date has been set for the changes to take effect.
