Mohawk Valley Meats

Mohawk Valley Meats is a U.S.D.Aslaughter facility, operating under the direct supervision of to U.S.D.Ainspection personnel during all working hoursMohawk Valley Meats operates under a H.A.C.C.P(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) Plan, a preventative approach to food safety from many hazards in productionIn September our regular, ongoing customer, MrsS, (referred to by Mr [redacted] as “friend”) scheduled a butcher appointment for head of cattleAll scheduling correspondence was made through MrsS, and no processing timeline was given at the time the appointment was madeOn October 26th, Mr [redacted] and MrsS arrived to deliver the beef previously scheduled to be butchered on October 27thWhile in the office reviewing cutting instructions, we discussed with Mr [redacted] a target day for cuttingMohawk typically ages carcasses for 14-days, give or take depending on the carcass, and this was explained to Mr [redacted] at that timeThe dates Mr [redacted] received were merely ideal scenarios for processing his beefMohawk never schedules processing dates, as processing abilities vary with each customerA little over a week after slaughter, MrsS called in for the weights on the animals she delivered, and we discussed the earliest ship date of November 20th, if Mohawk was able to meet the estimated timelineMr [redacted] never called Mohawk to inquire about his carcass weights, or the status of his orderOn November 20th, the designated trucking company never arrived to pick up any of the scheduled orders for the dayThe trucking company informed Mohawk that they were unable to secure a truck with room for the trip, and the orders would all have to be postponed until November 27thMohawk passed the information along to MrsS, who understood the situationMrsS’ beef was processed in two different loads, due to the variance in cutting instructionsThe first group was processed on November 21st, and the second on November 28thMohawk had prepared the first group of beef to be shipped to MrsS’ freezer storage in Medford on November 27th, however the trucking company was unable to secure a truck, and Mohawk was informed they could ship the product on November 29thOn November 29th, Mohawk reached out to the trucking company via e-mail, ensuring that the product would be picked upThe trucking company confirmed, and Mohawk shipped the one pallet to Medford for MrsS, on that day.On November 30th, Mr [redacted] called Mohawk, and spoke with the processing foreman before Mohawk was open for businessHe then spoke with the owner, but due to Mr [redacted] ’ preconceived notions and prior experience in a similar field, with different parameters, little productive communication was able to be hadHe was told the plant manager would return his phone callMr [redacted] called again, prior to A.M., and was again informed that the plant manager was in a meeting, but would return his call as soon as she was availableHe was very intimating while speaking with plant employeesImmediately following the meeting, the plant manager phoned Mr [redacted] , and it rapidly became clear that Mr [redacted] ’ occupational experience was not applicable to U.S.D.Aprocessing proceduresPlant manager explained that the beef was cut, and assured him his beef was in perfect conditionShe attempted to explain the optimal cooler conditions and the lack of exposure to bacteriaMohawk applies a microbial intervention, organically approved Lactic Acid, at the time of slaughterBeef must reach an internal temperature of degrees Fahrenheit within hours of slaughter, and are aged in a cooler maintained between and degrees, well below industry requirementsIn retail, or custom-exempt processing facilities, coolers are subjected to an increased bacteria count, due to processing wild game, or on the farm kills Mohawk does not allow carcasses that have been subjected to outside bacteria to enter hanging coolersThis prevents an increase in the presence of micro-organisms that are common in other, non-U.S.D.AfacilitiesMr [redacted] was unwilling to waiver from his set opinion, he made threats and adamantly refused to accept deliveryHe demanded Mohawk store his finished product in the coolerMohawk refused, since quick freezing is standard procedure for locker beef and abiding his requests only would compromise the quality of his beefAt the close of the conversation between the plant manager and Mr [redacted] , Mohawk’s plant manager requested that Mr [redacted] only contact her due to his aggressive nature towards employees in previous calls.Mr [redacted] refers to his beef as being “prime”These beef did not grade U.S.D.Aprime, and the statement is based on his assumptions, as he never saw the carcass, or quality of the meatU.S.D.Adoes not offer graders in the state of Oregon, and although these are both nice beef, neither graded Choice, nor Prime as he refers to themTo achieve choice status, beef shall typically be grain fed for 90-days, under feedlot conditionsFeeding grain for days is not enough to achieve U.S.D.Aprime statusMohawk does not dispute the worthiness of Mr [redacted] ’ locker beef, as they are very good for pasture-raised beef, however, the value of the beef is over-estimated under retail conditionsMohawk pays their main producer $per pound on the dressed weight of the carcass, without processing fees$per pound is the fair, wholesale value of this non-grading beefIt is Mohawk’s stand that Mr [redacted] should see the product we processed for him, in person, and consume his own product before choosing to waste it.On Friday, December 8th, Mohawk’s plant manager attempted to reach out to Mr [redacted] , who did not answer, or return the callA voice message was left on his answering machine stating that he had one week of complimentary freezer storage remaining and a $per month storage fee would be implemented starting Friday, December 15thMohawk Valley Meats has been under our direct ownership and operation since Mohawk’s managing personnel have the combined experience of over years in U.S.D.A., custom-exempt, and retail establishments, with experience starting in the late 1960’sWe expect to have no problems with the complaints filed with U.S.D.Aand Oregon Food Safety Division, as all our actions were in compliance, and met all CCPs (Critical Control Points) prior to pre-shipment review, but not to his self-assumed expectationsA quick [redacted] search by Mohawk yielded multiple studies, journals, and blogs, stating to days as a desirable dry-aging lengthThe 3% shrink Mr [redacted] ’ mentions being existent due to a long hang time, is simply a loss of moisture, which also comes out upon cooking or defrostingThis shrinkage occurs in every carcassTypically, a beef will lose 2-2.5% within the first hours of slaughter (according to https://extension.tennessee.edu/ [redacted] )This loss does not diminish the quality of the protein and is a desired aging process that is common among dry-aged beefAlthough it is our mission to accomplish processing in a timely manner, days is not out of the ordinary for beef dry-aged under optimal conditionsbeef were processed on the same day as Mr [redacted] ’, and of those 13, had hung longer than hisAlthough it is Mohawk’s preference to have Mr [redacted] evaluate his own product, Mohawk understands that he is unlikely to remain subjective in his observations, and offers $per pound, hanging weight (610# + 571# = 1181#), 1181# @ $2.00/# = $Mr [redacted] ’ would also no longer owe his current processing bill of $This product, if purchased, would be sold at Mohawk’s retail establishment as the product has not been compromised and bears the U.S.D.Aseal of approval for wholesomenessIf resolved within one month, Mohawk also agrees to waive the $storage fee for the month of December 15th

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: I have read the statement given from Mohawk There are several areas that we differ on from the cutting dates, 14-days vrs "actual" days of Secondly having had beef processed before with Mohawk, we again heard about weights and shipping time thru MrsS Should I have called,, maybe but did not as we assumed the information given to MrsS to be correct Furthermore on Nov 30th when I called to say I would pick my beef up, I was told "it was not yet cut and would not be able to pick it up that day Yes, this did make me angry but when I said that was unacceptable I was told "sue me" This statement made sme doubt Mohawks intergy, thus causing me to make the calls to the USDA and the Revdex.com.Since this dispute could go on with "he said, she said" I have decided to accept the offer of that was stated in the letter to the Revdex.com I will continue to disagree with Mohawks practice of processing beef but since y beef will not be processed there, that is no longer an issue I will expect my check no later than Jan 15th Enclosed with that check I would like a statement saying my processing bill of 766,and storage fee of will be waived Mohawk may keep the beef to do what they wish.Thank you for your help in this matterIf you need anymore information please feel free to contact me Sincerely, [redacted]

Mohawk Valley Meats has the bookkeeper issuing Mr [redacted] a check that will be mailed today, 1/11/Enclosed with the check will be a statement, noting a zero balance on his accountMohawk appreciates Revdex.com helping resolve this complaint

Mohawk Valley Meats is a U.S.D.A. slaughter facility, operating under the direct supervision of 1 to 3 U.S.D.A. inspection personnel during all working hours. Mohawk Valley Meats operates under a H.A.C.C.P. (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) Plan, a preventative approach to food safety...

from many hazards in production. In September our regular, ongoing customer, Mrs. S, (referred to by Mr. [redacted] as “friend”) scheduled a butcher appointment for 7 head of cattle. All scheduling correspondence was made through Mrs. S, and no processing timeline was given at the time the appointment was made. On October 26th, Mr. [redacted] and Mrs. S arrived to deliver the 7 beef previously scheduled to be butchered on October 27th. While in the office reviewing cutting instructions, we discussed with Mr. [redacted] a target day for cutting. Mohawk typically ages carcasses for 14-21 days, give or take depending on the carcass, and this was explained to Mr. [redacted] at that time. The dates Mr. [redacted] received were merely ideal scenarios for processing his beef. Mohawk never schedules processing dates, as processing abilities vary with each customer. A little over a week after slaughter, Mrs. S called in for the weights on the animals she delivered, and we discussed the earliest ship date of November 20th, if Mohawk was able to meet the estimated timeline. Mr. [redacted] never called Mohawk to inquire about his carcass weights, or the status of his order. On November 20th, the designated trucking company never arrived to pick up any of the scheduled orders for the day. The trucking company informed Mohawk that they were unable to secure a truck with room for the trip, and the orders would all have to be postponed until November 27th. Mohawk passed the information along to Mrs. S, who understood the situation. Mrs. S’ beef was processed in two different loads, due to the variance in cutting instructions. The first group was processed on November 21st, and the second on November 28th. Mohawk had prepared the first group of beef to be shipped to Mrs. S’ freezer storage in Medford on November 27th, however the trucking company was unable to secure a truck, and Mohawk was informed they could ship the product on November 29th. On November 29th, Mohawk reached out to the trucking company via e-mail, ensuring that the product would be picked up. The trucking company confirmed, and Mohawk shipped the one pallet to Medford for Mrs. S, on that day.On November 30th, Mr. [redacted] called Mohawk, and spoke with the processing foreman before Mohawk was open for business. He then spoke with the owner, but due to Mr. [redacted]’ preconceived notions and prior experience in a similar field, with different parameters, little productive communication was able to be had. He was told the plant manager would return his phone call. Mr. [redacted] called again, prior to 9 A.M., and was again informed that the plant manager was in a meeting, but would return his call as soon as she was available. He was very intimating while speaking with plant employees. Immediately following the meeting, the plant manager phoned Mr. [redacted], and it rapidly became clear that Mr. [redacted]’ occupational experience was not applicable to U.S.D.A. processing procedures. Plant manager explained that the beef was cut, and assured him his beef was in perfect condition. She attempted to explain the optimal cooler conditions and the lack of exposure to bacteria. Mohawk applies a microbial intervention, organically approved Lactic Acid, at the time of slaughter. Beef must reach an internal temperature of 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit within 24 hours of slaughter, and are aged in a cooler maintained between 33 and 36 degrees, well below industry requirements. In retail, or custom-exempt processing facilities, coolers are subjected to an increased bacteria count, due to processing wild game, or on the farm kills.  Mohawk does not allow carcasses that have been subjected to outside bacteria to enter hanging coolers. This prevents an increase in the presence of micro-organisms that are common in other, non-U.S.D.A. facilities. Mr. [redacted] was unwilling to waiver from his set opinion, he made threats and adamantly refused to accept delivery. He demanded Mohawk store his finished product in the cooler. Mohawk refused, since quick freezing is standard procedure for locker beef and abiding his requests only would compromise the quality of his beef. At the close of the conversation between the plant manager and Mr. [redacted], Mohawk’s plant manager requested that Mr. [redacted] only contact her due to his aggressive nature towards employees in previous calls.Mr. [redacted] refers to his beef as being “prime”. These beef did not grade U.S.D.A. prime, and the statement is based on his assumptions, as he never saw the carcass, or quality of the meat. U.S.D.A. does not offer graders in the state of Oregon, and although these are both nice beef, neither graded Choice, nor Prime as he refers to them. To achieve choice status, beef shall typically be grain fed for 90-180 days, under feedlot conditions. Feeding grain for 45 days is not enough to achieve U.S.D.A. prime status. Mohawk does not dispute the worthiness of Mr. [redacted]’ locker beef, as they are very good for pasture-raised beef, however, the value of the beef is over-estimated under retail conditions. Mohawk pays their main producer $1.65 per pound on the dressed weight of the carcass, without processing fees. $1.65 per pound is the fair, wholesale value of this non-grading beef. It is Mohawk’s stand that Mr. [redacted] should see the product we processed for him, in person, and consume his own product before choosing to waste it.On Friday, December 8th, Mohawk’s plant manager attempted to reach out to Mr. [redacted], who did not answer, or return the call. A voice message was left on his answering machine stating that he had one week of complimentary freezer storage remaining and a $20 per month storage fee would be implemented starting Friday, December 15th. Mohawk Valley Meats has been under our direct ownership and operation since 1996. Mohawk’s 3 managing personnel have the combined experience of over 115 years in U.S.D.A., custom-exempt, and retail establishments, with experience starting in the late 1960’s. We expect to have no problems with the complaints filed with U.S.D.A. and Oregon Food Safety Division, as all our actions were in compliance, and met all CCPs (Critical Control Points) prior to pre-shipment review, but not to his self-assumed expectations. A quick [redacted] search by Mohawk yielded multiple studies, journals, and blogs, stating 14 to 60 days as a desirable dry-aging length. The 3% shrink Mr. [redacted]’ mentions being existent due to a long hang time, is simply a loss of moisture, which also comes out upon cooking or defrosting. This shrinkage occurs in every carcass. Typically, a beef will lose 2-2.5% within the first 24 hours of slaughter (according to https://extension.tennessee.edu/[redacted]). This loss does not diminish the quality of the protein and is a desired aging process that is common among dry-aged beef. Although it is our mission to accomplish processing in a timely manner, 34 days is not out of the ordinary for beef dry-aged under optimal conditions. 13 beef were processed on the same day as Mr. [redacted]’, and of those 13, 9 had hung longer than his. Although it is Mohawk’s preference to have Mr. [redacted] evaluate his own product, Mohawk understands that he is unlikely to remain subjective in his observations, and offers $2.00 per pound, hanging weight (610# + 571# = 1181#), 1181# @ $2.00/# = $2362.00. Mr. [redacted]’ would also no longer owe his current processing bill of $766.55. This product, if purchased, would be sold at Mohawk’s retail establishment as the product has not been compromised and bears the U.S.D.A. seal of approval for wholesomeness. If resolved within one month, Mohawk also agrees to waive the $20 storage fee for the month of December 15th.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Mohawk Valley Meats has the bookkeeper issuing Mr. [redacted] a check that will be mailed today, 1/11/18. Enclosed with the check will be a statement, noting a zero balance on his account. Mohawk appreciates Revdex.com helping resolve this complaint.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  I have read the statement given from Mohawk.  There are several areas that we differ on from the cutting dates, 14-21 days vrs "actual" days of 35.  Secondly having had beef processed before with Mohawk, we again heard about weights and shipping time thru Mrs. S.  Should I have called,, maybe but did not as we assumed the information given to Mrs. S to be correct.  Furthermore on Nov 30th when I called to say I would pick my beef up, I was told "it was not yet cut and would not be able to pick it up that day.  Yes, this did make me angry but when I said that was unacceptable  I was told "sue me".  This statement made sme doubt Mohawks intergy, thus causing me to make the calls to the USDA and the Revdex.com.Since this dispute could go on with "he said, she said" I have decided to accept the offer of 2362.00 that was stated in the letter to the Revdex.com.  I will continue to disagree with Mohawks practice of processing beef but since y beef will not be processed there, that is no longer an issue.  I will expect my check no later than Jan 15th.  Enclosed with that check I would like a statement saying my processing bill of 766,55 and storage fee of 20.00 will be waived.  Mohawk may keep the beef to do what they wish.Thank you for your help in this matter. If you need anymore information please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]