Goodman Meat Processing
Owners: Mark Knight and son, Cory Knight
Location: Goodman, Mo.
History: Mark and Cory Knight own and operate Goodman Meat Processing located on Highway 59 in Goodman, Mo.
“I grew up in the country and I had always kept a locker here when it was owned by Larry and Patsy Hart,” Mark said.
The business dates back to 1947 when Toad Holloway first started the meat locker. The Harts owned the locker for 33 years when Larry decided he wanted to retire.
“I, myself, was semi-retired as the operations director for a jet engine overall company, Premier Turbines. I knew Larry wanted to retire,” Mark recalled. “I asked him what he was going to do with the business and he told me he was going to sell it. I asked him to who and he replied, ‘To you, because you’d like it.’ That was in 2011, in January 2012 I started helping out to get a feel for the business and in April, we bought it.”
How’s business?: On average, Goodman Meat Processing process about 500 cows and 300 hogs a year. To date they have processed 498 deer and are hoping to hit 500 before the season ends.
“We not only do custom processing for area farmers but we also do bratwurst, smoked bacon, jerky and sausage,” Cory added.
The Knight’s participate in the Share the Harvest program through the Department of Conservation, which allows deer hunters to donate their meat to local food pantries. The Knight’s provide the processing and the meat is given to Crosslines Food Pantry in Anderson, Mo.
At home: “I have always lived in the country and in fact, I bought the 80 acres that my folks purchased in 1938, I now own 270 acres,” Mark said.
He currently runs about 150 head of commercial grade cattle.
“I bought my first cow for $240 in seventh grade with money I borrowed from Dad,” Mark recalled. “Much of what I learned came from the old-timers who lived near us. They were a wealth of knowledge and were eager to help me out in any way so I didn’t make the same mistakes.”
