The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission and the Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation have selected Stauffer’s Butcher Barn in St. Mary’s County as the first recipient of their new Southern Maryland Livestock Processing Revolving Loan Fund. The program, launched in February 2025, provides a $200,000 no-match grant and a $250,000 forgivable loan to support capital and equipment investments in meat processing facilities across Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, Anne Arundel, and Prince George’s counties.
Stauffer’s Butcher Barn will use the funds to purchase equipment and upgrade its custom-exempt operation to include USDA-inspected retail processing. This expansion will enable the facility to handle beef, hogs, sheep, and goats, along with intact and nonintact meats, sausages, and specialty products. The improvements address a critical need in Southern Maryland livestock processing, where producers often face long drives to distant facilities.
Operated by Steven and Jen Stauffer with their children Jayden, Waylon, and Warren, the business occupies a renovated century-old tobacco barn on their family farm in Mechanicsville. The structure, one of the oldest in St. Mary’s County, reflects the region’s agricultural heritage, where such barns once dominated the landscape for curing tobacco leaves. Tobacco barns in Southern Maryland, many dating to the 1800s, feature distinctive designs with vertical slats for air circulation, a method used since the colonial era to dry the crop that fueled the local economy for centuries.
Upon USDA certification, Stauffer’s Butcher Barn will offer services including cutting, wrapping, and labeling for fresh meat sales; value-added processing like smoking, fermentation, sausage-making, scrapple production, and stuffed hams; and a retail area for locally produced items. These enhancements aim to reduce costs for farmers, improve profitability, and expand market access. Customers can select custom cuts, with specialty products vacuum-sealed and frozen for pickup.
The facility’s proximity to West Forty Market, an Amish-owned USDA-approved slaughterhouse in Mechanicsville, enhances efficiency. Located 15 miles apart, the sites allow farmers to drop off live animals at West Forty Market and retrieve processed products from Stauffer’s Butcher Barn within St. Mary’s County. West Forty Market achieved USDA certification in 2021 with SMADC assistance, marking a step toward localized Southern Maryland livestock processing.
This collaboration alleviates longstanding challenges in Southern Maryland livestock processing, such as extended travel to processors in northern Maryland, the Eastern Shore, or Virginia. Regional producers have reported delays in scheduling and high transportation costs, which strain operations. A feasibility study on Southern Maryland livestock producers highlighted the need for expanded local capacity to support over 40 farmers frustrated by processing bottlenecks. The lack of nearby USDA-inspected facilities has limited retail sales opportunities, prompting initiatives like this fund to foster self-sufficiency.
“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with SMADC and MARBIDCO. What began as a family tradition has grown into a business we once only dreamed of—one our community truly needs,” the Stauffer family said. “In just a few years, we’ve gone from working in minimal space with limited equipment to operating in a renovated facility with some of the best processing equipment available. Thanks to this support, we are now positioned to provide high-quality USDA retail processing services to our local livestock producers in the very near future.”
Mary Wood, chair of SMADC’s board, emphasized the program’s role in regional growth. “Farmers currently must travel out of state or to the far corners of our state to have their meat processed under USDA certification. With the help of SMADC and MARBIDCO, Stauffer’s Butcher Barn is now working to provide this service locally to Southern Maryland meat producers, so that they can in turn serve consumer demand for local meat products.”
“MARBIDCO is delighted to collaborate with SMADC and the TCCSMD to promote a viable and profitable farming community in Southern Maryland by investing in local livestock processing capacity to support livestock producers,” the organization said in its most recent newsletter. “Supporting the livestock processing sector is a key aspect of MARBIDCO’s agricultural development mission.”
SMADC, a division of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, focuses on farmland preservation, farmer support, and consumer resources to sustain agriculture. Established to address the decline in tobacco farming after the 2001 buyout program, SMADC has diversified efforts into livestock, produce, and aquaculture. MARBIDCO, a quasi-governmental entity, offers financing for agricultural and resource-based industries, including loans for equipment and facilities to bolster rural economies.
The Southern Maryland Livestock Processing Revolving Loan Fund builds on prior efforts, such as MARBIDCO’s programs providing loans from $200,000 to $4,000,000 for meat processing expansions. In St. Mary’s County, where agriculture contributes significantly to the local economy, initiatives like this support about 300 farms spanning crops and livestock. The Stauffer family’s project received county approvals, including a conditional use permit in 2024, ensuring compliance with zoning for agricultural processing.
This investment aligns with broader goals to enhance Southern Maryland livestock processing amid national trends favoring local food systems. USDA data show increasing demand for regionally sourced meat, with consumers prioritizing freshness and traceability. By reducing reliance on distant processors, the program could lower carbon footprints from transportation and create jobs in meat cutting and retail.
SMADC will provide ongoing administrative support to Stauffer’s Butcher Barn during the USDA certification process, which involves inspections for sanitation, labeling, and safety standards. Once operational, the facility could serve as a model for similar expansions, strengthening Southern Maryland’s agricultural resilience.