Like many businesses, Oxford Packing arose from the fundamental notion that “instead of paying someone else to do this, I could pay myself!”  Although the process was obviously a lot more involved than that, the Maddox family has taken the Oxford Packing facility in Downey to phenomenal heights of quality and attention to detail.  While Thomas Maddox couldn’t explain who as a result of an NDA (non disclosure agreement), he mentioned that the facility was now a supplier to a “well-known” celebrity chef’s restaurants.  Part of the that is due to Oxford’s awareness of trends in the meat packing industry, and its willingness to provide cuts currently popular as a result of TikTok and other social media.  During a tour last week in conjunction with the University of Idaho Agricultural Extension Office’s Sawyer Fonnesbeck and the January “Beef Class,” Maddox explained the current trend of the “Thor’s Hammer,” which is a massive and lean bone-in beef shank that requires a long, slow cook to come out right.  But internet eaters love it.

To start from the beginning, though—the Extension Office is committed to outreach and education, and all throughout the year hosts a number of lectures, hands-on classes and demonstrations, and discussion forums on all kinds of topics relevant to the Ag industry in the region.  Extension educators throughout the state—affiliated through the Extension Office in Moscow—either visit Malad in person or host online courses which are broadcast to the facility at the Event Center.  Classes on pesticides, feed growing, canning, weed abatement, and so on are offered by extremely qualified professionals from around the state, most of whom have done their post-graduate work and field work in a particular area of interest. 

Fonnesbeck is go-to consultant on matters related to livestock, and arranged for a tour of the Oxford plant with Malad’s Maddox, who owns and runs Oxford just off the interstate in Downey.  The location is one that came about when it was put up for sale in Downey.  Starting the permitting process for a meat packing plant from the ground up in Oneida County was a relatively more cumbersome process that adding on to one already in existence in Bannock, and so there it is.

The Oxford plant is continuing to expand, but is already an impressive facility.  With much of the interior having been designed and constructed by Maddox, his family, and local contractors, there are a lot of optimized elements for the process, which has been expanding its output consistently since it opened.  

As a USDA butcher shop, the plant has a fulltime USDA inspector, who keeps two scrupulous eyes on the proceedings.  The crew that handles the processing from the kill floor to the packing process is largely composed of workers from Peru, who Maddox describes as “the hardest working guys you can possibly imagine.”  The day begins a bit after six, as the crew come in early to prepare their knives and gear for the mandatory USDA inspection at 7:00 a.m.  The inspector, Jared, holds to a rigid schedule so the entire day has to be planned out like clockwork in order to avoid leaving meat hanging for too long before it is processed, or delaying an order due to switching between meat types.  When the day’s production switches from beef to pigs, for instance, the entire operation has to be sanitized and prepped for the switch.

In addition to the obvious elements of the operation that need to be inspected, things like knife sharpness, a host of temperature requirements, and literally hundreds of small points of observation are also under the constant watch of the inspector, who will issue violation notices if necessary.  The kill floor has its own host of procedures that need to be monitored, and the inspector’s job involves both ensuring that the meat that exits the facility is safe for consumption, as well as properly graded.

Maddox has a lot of stories about that part of the process.  Many small-scale ranchers have their meat processed by Oxford, and sometimes what looks like a perfect specimen to those who haven’t been through the process can quickly become a lot more bone, viscera, and other parts they hadn’t thought about.  A number of the ranchers on the tour also laughed that sometimes people wonder why they can’t have the whole packaged carcass in Tri-tips.

 Oxford Packing is at 22993 South Race Track Road in Downey, and is open 9-5 Monday through Friday, and by appointment on Saturdays.  As a USDA inspected facility, it can sell meat to retailers for commercial use, as well as to individuals for their own use.  They can be reached at 208-897-5179.  

After a tour of the plant, the Beef Class moved back to Malad for a series of presentations at the
event center.

Dr. J Benton Glaze, Jr. from out of Twin Falls discussed carcass traits, and how they are most importantly the result of sire selection.  According to Glaze, “90 percent of calf makeup is due to the last three sires in the line.”  Glaze discussed the history of meat grading, going back to its initiation in the 1920s.  Grading is designed to account for greater consistency in the way beef products are sold and marketed.  

Quality is determined by a number of factors, but most important are maturity of the animal, and fat marbling throughout the carcass.  As Glaze noted, sire selection can heavily influence the marbling of an animal, along with feeding and ranching practices.

Extension Educator Sawyer Fonnesbeck provided even more information on the topic.  Fonnesbeck has a lot of experience in livestock judging.  He presented research showing that the average American eats around 220  of meat a year, with roughly 57 of those pounds coming specifically from beef sources.  As Fonnesbeck pointed out (and everyone present immediately agreed) in many places people eat considerably more than 57 pounds of beef, which is really just over 200 smallish burgers!  

Those interested in learning more about how the USDA grades meat certainly found a lot to chew on over the course of the morning and afternoon.  It was a great example of the kinds of things that can be learned, often for free as in this case, from a great resource like the Extension Office.  Lunch was sponsored by the IFA. It was indeed roast beef.