Location: Adair, Okla.
Owners: Wes and Starla Koehn
History: Adair Custom Processing began in December 2020.
Owners Wes Koehn and Starla Koehn began the processing facility after they ran into trouble getting products for their barbecue business.
“In about March 2020, you couldn’t find any briskets, and what you did find were $12 to $15 a pound,” Wes recalled. “I started checking around and thought we had an opportunity here.”
The couple purchased a building in Adair and began remodeling.
The Koehns had no experience in custom processing before launching their business.
“We’ve butchered hogs at home, but that was it,” Wes said. “For the first year, there was a lot of YouTube and what I could figure out. We had three guys (with cutting experience) who walked in one day and asked if we needed help, and I told them yes. It’s been great because they can out-cut me any day.”
Products and services: Adair Custom Processing processes beef, pork, lamb and goat. Wes said most of their processing business is for beef, with an average of about 12 to 15 head a week. Customers can choose the cuts they wish to receive and specialty items.
“We do a lot of summer sausage and beef sticks,” Wes said. “We cure all of the pork here and can do things like jerky. We also have Arkansas bacon, which is where you take the front shoulder, cut the bone out and cure it like bacon. It’s cut a quarter of an inch thick, so it’s a bigger piece. Because it’s the front shoulder instead of the belly, it doesn’t have as much fat in it.”
Adair Custom Processing also has a retail store where customers can purchase beef, pork, chicken, catfish, shrimp, cheese from North Country Cheese in Wisconsin, and milk from Swan Bros. Dairy. Meat for the retail store is from USDA-inspected boxes.
“We also offer our snack sticks and summer sausage,” Wes added. “I still have my smoker back here if someone wants a brisket, pulled pork or some ribs, which we do the first Friday of the month for orders,” Wes said.
Future plans: Wes said they are pleased with how business has been, and are looking forward to continuing to be a part of the agriculture community.
“We can weather the ups and downs better since we aren’t trying to do 50, 60 or 100 head a week,” Wes said. “There’s a few things I would like to expand, like freezer space and refrigerators for the retail side up front.”
