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When you sell meat direct from the farm, packing and shipping becomes a regular part of the routine. It’s not just about getting meat in a box, it’s about staying organized, keeping things cold, and getting orders out the door efficiently.
Here’s a look at how we handle our shipping logistics (packing days) on our farm, along with some tools and systems that help streamline the process.
Order Day Overview
We typically pack orders twice a month. Yes, that’s right, not daily or even weekly. We’ve chosen this schedule to make better use of our time. I run both the retail side of the farm business, as well as the actual farm (and don’t forget family commitments). It helps us stay efficient with packing, prepping orders, scheduling delivery pickups, and picking up dry ice.
Our customers know our shipping schedule and still receive their orders in a timely manner with every-other-week fulfillment.
I start by printing packing slips and shipping labels for all orders placed since the last ship date. Depending on the volume, I’ll do this either the day before or the morning of the shipping day. Most of the time, it’s the day before.
We use Shopify as our e-commerce platform, which also provides access to discounted shipping rates. Shopify also has a great backend system which helps us process our orders too.
Before heading to the freezer, I pull up each order on my phone and print the corresponding packing slips. This helps double-check everything as I go.
Vlog: Overview of a shipping day
Pulling Orders from the Freezer
We use a walk-in freezer to store our goat meat inventory. Everything is organized by cut, which saves a lot of time when pulling multiple orders.
I pull items by cut for all orders at once. For example, I’ll pull all the ground goat first, then move on to the next item.
If I’m prepping orders the day before shipping, I organize each order in an open-style Rubbermaid bin with its packing slip. Once everything is pulled, the bins go back into the freezer until packing time the next day.
Our Packing Setup
Our packing area is located in the same building as our walk-in freezer. While it’s not a retail space, local customers can still pick up orders here. It functions more like a small-scale shipping warehouse.
The space includes several tables for prepping orders, along with:
- Packing tape (heavy-duty and holds well in cold temperatures)
- Thermal shipping labels
- Shipping boxes
- Insulated liners
- Gel packs or dry ice, depending on the season
- Branding inserts like thank-you notes and cooking guides
- Shipping stickers for boxes: branded labels, perishable, etc.
- Shelving to hold boxes and liners
- A rolling cart stocked with smaller supplies like tape, inserts, pens, and labels
Note: The link(s) above is an affiliate link.
Each box is lined, packed with meat, dry ice (or gel packs), and inserts, sealed with tape, and labeled. Finished boxes are stored in a cool area until they’re picked up by UPS or dropped off at our local distribution center.
Learning along the way
Packing orders regularly has taught me a lot. Here are a few things that make the process smoother:
- Batch tasks – Start by planning your shipping schedule, then organize your workflow. Print packing slips, prep boxes with liners and inserts, pull meat, and add coolant. Keeping tasks grouped saves time and reduces errors.
- Label everything – Especially when prepping the day before. I use Post-it notes or similar labels to prevent mix-ups.
- Stay organized – A simple inventory system speeds up order pulling and helps prevent overselling. Keeping your packing area clean and stocked also helps.
- Double check orders and labels before doing the final taping for each order. It’s easy to get things mixed up when you have a lot of orders to pack. Labeling helps, but double checking is that next step.
- Watch your timing – We only ship early in the week to avoid weekend delays. Be sure to check how holidays might affect delivery schedules too.
Shipping carriers
We primarily ship with UPS for our farm logistics because there’s a distribution center close to the farm. It’s convenient for dropping off small batches, and we can schedule pickups for larger order days.
We’ve found UPS to be more reliable than other carriers.
Other farmers I know use FedEx or regional carriers like Spee-Dee Delivery, which serves the Upper Midwest.
I don’t recommend using USPS for frozen meat. Their delivery times are too inconsistent for perishable goods.
If you’re new to shipping, try different carriers and compare delivery speed, rates, and how well your products arrive.
Tools and Supplies
Here are some of the tools and supplies that help us stay efficient:
- Computer and printer at the shipping workstation, wireless set up so I can use my phone too
- Wireless thermal label printer (no ink required)
- Thermal label rolls
- Rolling cart with shipping supplies
- Packing tape dispenser
- Shipping scale
- Rubbermaid totes for pulling orders from the freezer
- Sticker roll holder
- Use an e-commerce platform, like Shopify, to use their backend tools to help manage orders, keep track of customer communications or needs, and seamlessly buy and print labels
- Pre-build your boxes and liners
- Prepping orders the day before
- Consolidating shipping days to save time and reduce dry ice runs
Note: The link(s) above is an affiliate link.
You can find a full list of our preferred retail and shipping tools and supplies on our Amazon storefront.
Packing meat orders is one of those behind-the-scenes jobs that can take up a good chunk of your day. But once you have a system in place, the process gets much easier. Over time, you’ll figure out what works best for your setup, your products, and your customers.
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