Halal butcher in Unity aims to develop meat cooperative with other small producers

Courtesy / Five Pillars Butchery  Kathryn Piper and Hussam AlRawi, center, and their team at Five Pillars Butchery.

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Five Pillars Butchery, an immigrant-owned halal butcher in Unity, and other small livestock producers are looking to establish a halal-certified meat cooperative with the help of a nonprofit consultant, the Cooperative Development Institute.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the Northampton, Mass.-based institute a $65,150 rural business development grant for the research and development required to develop the regional livestock producer cooperative and local halal brand.

“We are motivated to not only supply the Muslim and immigrant communities of Maine and northern New England with quality local products, but we are happy to support regional farmers in gaining access to the rapidly growing halal food market, which has a projected growth of over $8 billion by 2028,” said Kathryn Piper, owner of Five Pillars Butchery. “We see it as a win/win for both our community and Maine farmers."

The idea for Five Pillars Butchery got started in 2014 when it became evident that it was difficult to find halal meat, according to the company’s website.

Today the firm provides 100% halal meat to markets, co-ops, restaurants, delicatessens, community-support agriculture programs, hospitals, schools and online customers.

The word halal means “permissible,” the website notes. Certain conditions, taken throughout the life of the animal, need to be followed in order for meat to be halal. Conditions included humane treatment, ensuring the animal is fed properly, allowed to live outside and have freedom of movement. Additional conditions pertain to the slaughter, including gentle handling, preferably facing the animal in the direction of Mecca, using a very sharp blade and speaking the name of Allah.

It’s expected that the new cooperative will serve a growing demand for halal meat from residents across Maine and the region. It will also help make more local meat available in the state, shortening the supply chain for residents.

“This Rural Business Development Grant award is a prime example of the way we’re using federal dollars to create a multiplier effect,” said Rhiannon Hampson, USDA Rural Development’s Maine state director. “CDI’s work with Maine food producers will foster sustainable economic development while creating more culturally diverse food options.”

The cooperative will include livestock growers and processors who intend to develop a halal meat brand and a halal-certified, USDA-regulated slaughter and processing facility.

The Cooperative Development Institute will use the funds to advise and train the members of the cooperative in its early stages.

Assistance will include:

Conducting market and feasibility studies.
Performing outreach to confirm state and federal food safety requirements and inspector capacity.
Coaching farmers as they learn to meet processing schedules.
Advising on pricing and capital management.
Helping cooperative members market their products.

According to the institute, up to 15 farmers are interested in working as part of the cooperative effort. Six are Black, Indigenous and other people of color, several are beginning farmers, and one is operated by a cooperative of Somali women.

Five Pillars Butchery expects to reach full capacity by 2028. Once at capacity, the business estimates that over $2 million in sales might flow back to farmers in the cooperative. The income is expected to increase farmers’ ability to reinvest in farm infrastructure, hire more employees and contribute to the sustainability of Maine’s agricultural sector.

“Through this project, Maine benefits from the inclusion of new farmers, new ideas and, most importantly, the partnerships that are central to supporting each of these,” Hampson said.

“There are currently no halal, USDA-certified slaughterhouses in Maine or northern New England,” said Katherine Bessey, the institute’s program director. “Despite the recent growth of Muslim and other immigrant populations in the region, there are no local sources for these culturally relevant processed meat products. There is a need to develop an equitable local food production system in Maine that provides access to culturally relevant food, such as halal slaughtered meats.”

Forming a cooperative will help farmers, producers and sellers pool resources and expand markets, Bessey said.

The Cooperative Development Institute is a regional nonprofit founded in 1994 by co-op leaders in the Northeast to provide expertise in co-op development and cooperative food distribution support.