Hindu Meats Raised and Processed in the USA

Zhatka is a small-scale Hindu farmer on a mission to change the way meat is produced and consumed in the USA. We are proud to raise and process all our meat in America, with local farms.

A core part of our mission is to grow the next generation of farmers in America. This means providing a living wage and access to the materials needed to sustain their farms. The sad truth is that the family farm is dying out largely due to industrialization. – this has led to:

• A reduction in the number of people working in farming (from 70% in 1840 to under 2% in 2000) (1)
• The average age of a farmer rising to 59 with one-third of farmers aged over 65 (2)
• A reduction in the number of farms in the USA, with 90,000 lost between 2007-2012 (3)
• 50% of farms in the USA making less than $10,000 a year (4)
• 66% of production coming from just 4% of farms across the country (4)
• 60% of poultry production in the USA comes from just 3 companies (5)

It has left consumers without knowledge about the vital role farmers’ play in not only feeding our nation but in working with nature to ensure a sustainable future for us all. This means consumer expectations aren’t aligned with what produces the highest-quality, sustainable food for generations to come.

We aim to inform consumers across the country about these vital topics and change the following misconceptions: 

• Confusion around the seasonality of food - when meat is raised 100% outdoors on pasture, it is seasonal.
• Lack of knowledge on raising whole animals and availability of cuts. There is a reason country chickens are expensive, they grow at much lower rate than broiler chickens.
• Misguided information on the process of raising livestock from birth to harvest. Chickens don’t only eat grass, they aren’t meant to. But goats do and should (although in most industrial feedlots they are fed grain).
• Misunderstanding about the differences between factory farming and regenerative agriculture, and the impacts of both. Raising animals inside isn’t normal and it shouldn’t be considered acceptable for us or the animals.