At a time when many are looking for ways to trim the fat in their weekly food budget, J&L Farm Butcher Shop just may be able to help with that.  Most local farmers know of the new, clean facility for processing deer, cow, sheep, goat, and chicken.  Opened in 2009, it has seen steady growth in reputation.  The business is based on the philosophy…do things the right way.  Integrity in tracking maintains the meat you’ve delivered will be the meat you receive with no fingers on the scales. Jake Dysinger says, “We pride ourselves in, whatever you bring in here comes right back out to you.”
J&L Farm Butcher Shop is sort of hidden down a long blacktopped drive just outside of Medway.  The original idea was to open up a restaurant with freshly processed meats on the menu.  Then, with the economy’s decline, sights were set a little smaller.  Family and friends gathered together to convert the 23 acre farm’s combine/tractor parking, to a state of the art butcher shop.  Included in those plans, is a bakery to maybe put in at a later date.  The large windows and well lit area with gleaming stainless steel covering almost every surface, makes cleanliness a breeze.  An old-fashioned smokehouse for curing hams and bacons using salt, sugar, maple syrup, and a cure for 2 weeks before smoking in hickory wood chips.  The aroma is divine. The live animals enter the building from a series of tall fences and gates on pulleys. They are treated as calmly and humanely as possible for this quick, difficult part.  The meat is then processed quickly and skillfully with a turnaround of a week or so excluding smoked products.
J & L’s main customers are those wanting custom processing of their animals.  Dysinger says, “That is what we provide.  You can’t come in a get a couple pounds of hamburger but if you need fifty steaks for a party, come see us.  We are able to put people together with the farmers so someone wanting a half a cow can be matched with someone else and the farmer.  We work with the same farms over and over again, and these guys really know their stuff.  If you want a hog 200 pounds on the rack, they can do that or come pretty darn close.”
Back in the 60’s people would go together and get half a cow or hog but the practice fell out of favor with widely available meats and cheap prices.  Cheap meat has become an oxymoron, even hamburger prices have risen dramatically.  People are demanding quality food and placing emphasis on locally grown and obtainable items.  Thereby maintaining area businesses, preserving freshness, and ensuring high quality products.  Most grocery stores no longer have the racks of meat hanging in the locker room.  Meats come bagged and boxed in smaller shipments, on trucks from the business offering the best price.  Most of the cutting done now is more in the line of production manufacturing.  Each person on an assembly line is taught to make a few certain cuts and then it is just repetition.  The true butcher from kill to clean up has become a rare breed.  
Muzzleloader season has brought in their kills from the weekend.  Thirty deer hang ready for processing by J. D. Delawder.  “I’ve been skinning and processing deer for about 15 years now.  I started with my Dad when I was just a little guy,” as he places his hand about waist high.  “I’ve been killing the other animals for about nine years now.  It sounds hard but it’s a job.  I tell people, this is the way I look at it.  I didn’t raise it, bottle feed it, or take care of the animal throughout its life.  This is a good job and somebody needs to do it.”  J & L offers a European Skull Mount for those hunters wishing to have a trophy.
Dysinger proudly states the organization they belong to and the help they offer to the community.  “The organization FARMERS AND HUNTERS-Feeding the Hungry has been a valuable tool for area food pantries.  One deer can feed 200 hungry people and many times hunters will donate their catch.  J & L will donate their skills, process, vacuum pack, and freeze until we have a couple hundred pounds to share with the pantry.”  “We are also pretty proud to be a part of supplying jerky to our soldiers in Afghanistan.  Beef jerky is pretty rare over there and a friend of mine, Jake Christian, had sent some over to his friend.  We donated the meat and processing equipment and Jake did all the labor.  Roughly 30 pounds of jerky were sent out and really appreciated by our guys.  I’d like to continue to do that and I think people would donate.”  Support the FFA is another way they keep in touch with area youth and our interests in the future.  Kids need to be supported in their endeavors to raise animals for the future.  It is expensive to do and sometimes not very gratifying.  We support all we can through the county fairs and wish to encourage other businesses to help, too.
Larry Copenhefer is the “L”, in J & L, a well known name about town and an experienced butcher for over 50 years.  He is a Vietnam Vet and a bit of an entrepreneur.   Some know him for his ostrich farm a few years back, some from his previous position at Copey's Meat Market.

For more information:  http://jandlfarmbutchershop.com/