Grand opening today for Home Place meat processing plant, butcher shop

Home Place Pastures, located just East of Como, celebrates the grand opening of its meat processing plant and retail butcher shop with a public ribbon cutting today at 1 p.m..
The only USDA-inspected meat processing plant in north Mississippi and one of only a handful of plants in the entire Southeast region, Home Place Pastures now offers custom butchering for beef, pork and lamb in the 7,200-square-foot plant.
Marshall Bartlett is co-founder and president of the company. His brother, Jemison Bartlett, is CFO.
Hours of the grand opening are noon until 3 p.m. Guests are invited to mix and mingle while sampling Home Place brisket and pork shoulder. During the afternoon, they can enjoy light refreshments and learn more about Home Place and shop the 450-square-foot retail store.
At 12:30 Kate Patterson, President, Como Main Street Alliance, will welcome guests.
Also set to talk briefly are Joe Azar, Panola County Economic Development Director; Lataisha Jackson, MS State Representative District 11; Marshall Bartlett, Home Place Pastures CEO and President.
The official Home Place Pastures ribbon cutting (front, north entrance of plant) will take place at 1 p.m.
Working closely with the USDA and Mississippi State University on the plant design, Home Place Pastures’ comprehensive long-term plan also includes slaughter facilities to open in summer 2017.

According to sources, the new plant has far-reaching positive implications for producers and farmers.

“If you ask any meat producer selling locally what their biggest hurdle is, they’ll likely say getting their animals processed. If those farmers are selling certified organic meat or poultry, the challenge is ever greater. New facilities like this one in Como are a major step toward help growing Mississippi’s local food economy. An expansion of our state’s processing capacity will ensure accessibility and availability of those products while increasing farmer profits and allowing them to reach multiple markets,” says Daniel Doyle, executive director of the Mississippi Sustainable Agriculture Network.
On March 10, distinguished speakers, guests and visitors will have the chance to sample Home Place products, meet Marshall, the Bartlett family and the Home Place staff, and shop the 450-square-foot retail store.
County and state officials will gather to help cut the ribbon during the event which is sponsored by the Como Main Street Alliance.