OFFERING QUALITY
Blueridge Processing brings quality meats, serves local and regional farmers
Blueridge Processing is owned and operated by Josh Clark (left) and his wife Ashley Clark (center) and their older children. Josh and Ashley Clark are joined by their son Gunner (right) and 4-year-old son Cain (front). Daughter Haley was not available for photo.
Josh Clark cuts up beef inside the Blueridge Processing plant.
Employees at Blueridge processing pack chicken raised by farmers and brought to the facility to be made ready for sale.
These are some of the other meats available for sale at Blueridge processing's farm store.
In early July, Marion's Blueridge Processing was awarded a grant of more than $450,000 from the state. Blueridge Processing has been in operation since July 2023, and the retail store opened a year ago. The meat processing facility and its farm retail store are owned and operated by Josh Clark and his wife, Ashley Clark.
Blueridge Processing is located up a hill at 135 Ag Services Drive, which is off of N.C. Highway 226 South.
The processing facility originally opened as the Foothills Pilot Plant in 2013. The plant was originally partly owned by McDowell County government and processed meat from chickens, turkeys, ducks and other fowl, as well as rabbits. When it opened in 2013, it was the only USDA-inspected processing facility serving independent poultry growers in western North Carolina.
By 2016, McDowell County officials said they wanted to get out of the slaughterhouse and meat processing business, and other operators took over the place.
Three years ago, the Clark family, of Nebo, took ownership and decided to give the place a new start. They are first-generation farmers.
Josh and Ashley Clark operate the business with help from their older children and five full-time employees. Their children are daughter Haley, 20; son Gunner, 13; and son Cain, 4.
The Clarks said their journey into farming began with one simple goal: providing better food for their family. To do so, they took over the unused processing plant and began a series of improvements.
"As we raised our own livestock, we quickly realized there was a gap in the local processing industry," Ashley said. "The processors available offered very little variety, and it was difficult to find products made with clean, high-quality ingredients. We wanted something better — not just for our family, but for other families as well."
But they faced challenges. Even though they had raised livestock, the Clarks did not know how to turn the livestock into packaged meat. They became self-taught butchers.
"At a turning point in our lives, we made the decision to learn how to process our own animals," Ashley said. "We had no experience in meat processing and couldn't find anyone willing to teach us. Instead of letting that stop us, we did what we do best — we figured it out."
The Clarks contacted the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, where they provided the couple with the regulations and guidance needed to begin the journey toward USDA inspection. "We bought every book we could find on butchering, watched countless hours of instructional videos and spent day after day teaching ourselves every cut, every process and every detail of the trade," Ashley said.
"When the opportunity arose to purchase the former Foothills Pilot Plant from McDowell County, we knew it was exactly what we had been searching for," she said. "We completely renovated the facility, transforming it into a USDA-inspected processing plant designed specifically for large livestock."
In January 2024, the Clarks officially received a USDA Grant of Inspection. Less than nine months later, demand had grown so rapidly that they were turning away twice as many customers as they could fit into their schedule.
"It confirmed what we had believed from the beginning — farmers were looking for a processor that offered quality, transparency, innovation and exceptional customer service," Ashley said
When Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina, the Clarks gave out 350 meat boxes to anyone who needed food. That equaled 3,500 pounds of meat, the Clarks said.
Now, Blueridge Processing provides services to farmers from Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina. It processes meat from farmers in North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast.
One of those farmers is Jay English, who produces beef from the cattle on his farm in the North Cove community.
"We probably have more than 100 farmers right now," Ashley said.
Since the plant was transformed to handle large livestock, it can now process bison, beef and pork along with chicken, lamb and goat.
Blueridge Processing's store
The Clarks decided to add a retail farm store next to the processing plant. Inside this small but packed store, customers can find packaged meat, cheeses, sauces, butter and even popcorn.
"Everything we sell in here we raise ourselves or we source from farmers within an hour," Ashley said.
Inside the freezers are packages of beef, pork, bison, lamb and chicken, which is sourced from one of the plant's farmers. There are also different types of cheese, non-pasteurized milk and ice cream.
The shelves are a variety of jams, jellies, and sauces sourced locally, as well as microwave popcorn made by Amish growers.
The farm store is open Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closed on Sundays.
"We wanted to offer our community the same quality meats we were producing and processing ourselves," Ashley said. "Today, we sell beef, pork, lamb, goat, and other products from animals raised on our farm in Nebo, along with meats sourced from farmers we personally know within roughly an hour of McDowell County. Supporting local agriculture has always been at the heart of what we do."
Innovation is one of the things that sets their operation apart. From their blueberry maple pork sausage patties to the newest Burn It Up Cowboy Links — crafted with a locally made pepper blend from Burn It Up Pepper Co. — the Clarks are constantly developing unique products that customers can't find anywhere else.
"One thing we hear almost every week is, 'I wish I'd known about you sooner,'" Ashley said. "Most of our customers discover us because a friend, neighbor, or coworker recommended us. That kind of word-of-mouth has been incredibly rewarding, but it has also shown us the importance of sharing our story with a wider audience. We are investing more in advertising so more families can discover the products and services we have worked so hard to build."
Blueridge Processing is especially proud to accept EBT/SNAP benefits in the farm store.
"Access to locally raised, responsibly sourced food shouldn't be limited by income," reads a statement from the Clarks. "By accepting these benefits, we're able to help more families enjoy fresh local meats, cheeses, and pantry items while also supporting the farmers who produce them.
Future expansion of Blueridge Processing
The demand for Blueridge Processing's services has exceeded the capacity of the existing facility. To continue meeting the needs of livestock producers, the company is undertaking an expansion that will significantly increase processing capacity and allow the production of fully cooked, ready-to-eat USDA-inspected products, including jerky, snack sticks, summer sausage, hot dogs and other shelf-stable and ready-to-eat items. This expansion will enable the company to serve hundreds of additional farmers.
That is where the $451,630 grant from the state comes in. Beyond the support requested through the NCAMPI grant program, Josh and Ashley Clark are investing approximately $2.5 million of private capital into the expansion.
The project will create at least 10 new full-time jobs while substantially expanding the facility's ability to serve livestock producers throughout North Carolina and surrounding states.
"Everything we've built started with one family's desire for better food," the Clarks said in a statement. "Today, Blueridge Processing exists to help local farmers thrive, provide families with exceptional products they can trust, and strengthen the agricultural community that has supported us from the very beginning."
For more information about Blueridge Processing, visit the Facebook page.
