Barnard, MO – Steve and Kim Wells from King City, MO are the owners of Barnard Processing in Barnard, Missouri, and they have exciting news to share. They will be soon celebrating the opening of their business – a USDA inspected slaughter/processing facility which will accommodate not only individuals but companies. Steve and Kim Wells have been involved in locally sourced meats for years. Now they will be able to provide the missing “processing” piece. From her site Locally Sourced Meats on Facebook, Kim says, “As one of your local farmers, we have worked for the last 20 years bringing our meat and that of our neighbors to the city! It isn’t over yet! Our new facility Barnard Processing will be open very soon and it will be an even better supply. This is so big right now, especially with the issues that are happening in the large processors in our nation shutting down. Small local facilities is where the safety is at and we are ready to meet this challenge with you.”
Steve and Kim believe that having a great connection to the regional community and providing a much needed service to the region is what makes their business unique. They say that they have long dreamed to bring more value by owning and operating a processing facility. Their biggest struggle has been tackling all the regulations and completing all the paperwork, but it has also been an arduous wait to receive confirmation that all is in order and they are ready to roll.
A word of wisdom for other entrepreneurs starting out with such a venture: “Plan to take twice as long as you expected to get up and running.” They first heard of NWMEF in the Missouri Ruralist about 14 years ago, and have used NWMEF services off and on for that many years. “It has been a fabulous resource for me as I have worked on different business ventures and ideas over the years”, reports Kim.
But it seems true that it takes a whole region to support and encourage agricultural ventures such as these. The couple also gives tribute to the individuals and groups who assisted them along each leg of their journey: Josh McKim – Nodaway County Economic Development Corporation, Bank Northwest, Stanberry – Ken Henggeler and Kody Schieber, Missouri Enterprise – Jamey Quelle, the Department of Economic Development – Linda Martin, the Small Business Development Center – Rebecca Lobina, the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the City of Barnard and the local farmers network.
Steve and Kim hope and dream that in the next 5, 10 to 20 years, their slaughter/processing facility will prosper and expand operations to even better serve our region. For the meantime during the COVID-19 situation, Kim says, “Weekly orders? No worries! Monthly drop offs? No worries! All the wonderful meats including sausages will be available. We’ll be setting up live streaming so you can see the goodies and you’ll be able to meet the farmers behind it all with interviews and question and answer times! Take heart everyone, your farmers are here for you! “
