Amish butcher cuts meats to order in Adamsville

ADAMSVILLE — Norman Yoder spent 11 years working for his brother's roofing business, but his aching back said he needed change.

So change he did.

Yoder, who is Amish, made a swift career change. Gone are his days tearing off shingles and pounding nails into metal roofs. He now operates his own meat cutting business, Country Custom Meats, on Prospect Church Road just north of Adamsville.

"It's off the beaten path," Yoder said. "We're not far from (Interstate) 70 or Zanesville, but we're still out there."

Unlike other meat processors in Muskingum County, some of which are a short drive from his facility, Yoder doesn't have a long waiting list. He butchers beef, pork, venison and sheep, among others.

He doesn't sell his own meats, per United States Food and Drug Administration laws, but his work is state inspected and cut to order for individuals. A smaller operation, he has four full-time and six part-time employees.

It opened in April after a year to gain all of the necessary inspections and equipment to operate. Prior to that he worked for Yoder Roofing, but the opportunity to essentially work from home was too tempting to pass up.

"It's at home, where the kids are at," Yoder said. "There is a high demand for it and a good market for it. We've always done our own (slaughtering) for as long as I can remember, but I've never done it on a commercial scale."

He is mostly self-taught from learning as a youth, but he has had help from local slaughterhouses that have helped when questions arise to create a special cut.

"I enjoy it," Yoder said. "Growing up we always butchered our own meat. It was something I learned to do at a young age."

Leaning on the job is the best experience, he said, and he admitted it has been stressful at times, especially at the start. They just wrapped up their first deer season.

"We did 85 deer and I was very happy with that being the first season," Yoder said, adding they make trail bologna, hot dogs and summer sausage, to name a few.

The business has relied on word of mouth for advertisement until he took an ad out in an Ohio food and dairy publication a few weeks ago. Now word has officially spread.

The business gained steam when he was contacted by those with the Coshocton, Guernsey and Muskingum County fairs.

"Growing up we always did our beef, our own hogs, own deer or whatever," he added. "That's where I was taught. It's something I enjoy. I know it's not something everybody would enjoy. I tell the employees, if you don't enjoy butchering, don't even look for a job. But somebody has to do it. Almost everybody eats meat."

That he doesn't have a waiting list, like other local processors, gives him an advantage. He also has connections with local farmers for those who would rather have their meat provided.

"They are booking for 2024 already," Yoder said. "I'm not booked out that far yet because I am new. They book two years ahead and if you need something butchered now you're not getting in. That helped me out a lot. If someone needed one right now I could work them in, especially in deer season."

He does not have a website, but those wishing to place an order can contact him at 740-252-1495.

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Learning on the job