by The arrival of a package with your farm’s logo on it should make your customers hungry. Seeing it on their porch should spark daydreams about deliciously seared steaks, perfectly grilled pork chops, and fall-off-the-bone ribs.
But nothing chases away their appetites like opening the box to find a warm, soggy mess.
That’s why we’ve put together this quick guide on how to pack frozen meat for shipping.
In this blog, we’ll cover four of the most common mistakes farmers make — and the strategies you can use to keep your customers happy and your products as fresh as possible on their journey from your farm to their front door.
1. Choosing the Wrong Type of Insulation
As you pack frozen meat and prepare it for shipping, there’s one main goal to keep in mind: it should stay frozen.
Since you can’t keep a careful eye on your farm-fresh goods as they travel across the state or country, you need to choose insulation you can trust to protect them from temperature fluctuations and bumps in the road.
Failing to insulate your packages will cause the meat to thaw prematurely and expose it to unsafe temperature ranges — making it dangerous to consume.
Solution: Invest in High Quality Insulation
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to prevent this meat shipping catastrophe. All you need to do is invest in high-quality insulation to keep perishable goods cold during shipping.
Insulated box liners are rated based on how cold they can keep contents and for how long. For example, standard metallic foil liners are affordable, but they can only keep packages cold for around 24-48 hours — making them a great option if you’re shipping your products across short distances.
If you’re planning to ship frozen meat across the country, you might want to evaluate more heavy-duty options, such as feather-based or plastic liners.
Related Read: Insulated Box Liners: 4 Best Options for Shipping Meat
2. Using the Same Packing Method for All Destinations
One of the biggest benefits of farm e-commerce is that it lets you sell your products to customers across the country.
But a pitfall you might fall into is using the same packing and shipping strategy for all of your customers.
Let’s walk through an example and imagine that you operate a farm in North Carolina. If a customer in Virginia places an order, you’ll need moderate insulation to keep the package cold for a few days at most. In contrast, if a customer in California orders meat from your farm, you’ll need much heftier insulation to keep the package cold for up to a week.
Solution: Offer Different Options Depending on Location
So, how can you pack frozen meat for shipping to different parts of the country? The answer lies in your order management system.
Your farm e-commerce software should be able to sort orders by distance and even charge additional shipping and handling fees to cover the extra costs of nationwide shipping.
Going back to our example, the customer from Virginia would pay a smaller delivery fee, and you’d know to use your lighter insulation for their package. Your California customer would pay a higher shipping fee, and you’ll be prepared to use your best insulation to keep the order safe on its journey.
3. Failing To Label Products
Another overlooked aspect of how to package frozen meat for shipping is labeling.
Failing to thoroughly label your products causes major confusion for your team and your customers. Unlabeled meats might be placed into the wrong shipping boxes, and once they reach their destination, customers will struggle to figure out which product is which.
Proper labeling isn’t just a matter of convenience — it’s also critical for inventory management and food safety. Your labels should show a product’s weight, packing date, and best-by date to ensure customers always receive fresh meat.
Solution: Invest in a Butcher Scale With a Label Printer
The best way to tackle meat labeling is to invest in a butcher scale with an integrated label printer. This tool streamlines your meat packing process, letting you weigh a product and print a label effortlessly.
To save even more time, look for one that integrates with your farm e-commerce system to keep your inventory records up to date and make preparing orders a breeze.
4. Wasting Time and Money on Poor Meat Packing Processes
As a farmer, you have a lot of responsibilities on your plate.
From taking excellent care of your livestock to educating your community about the power of regenerative farming, you might not have the time to master the art of packing frozen meat for shipping.
After all, it takes a lot of research and trial and error to land on a strategy that works perfectly every time.
Solution: Outsource Your Packing to a Third-Party Provider
If learning how to pack frozen meat for shipping sounds like a nightmare, we have good news: You don’t have to do it on your own.
You can outsource the packing process to a third-party provider and spend your time doing what you love most: focusing on the farm.
These meat packing services are generally locally owned and operated, so ask other farmers in the neighborhood for recommendations.
Grow Your Farm E-Commerce Operation With GrazeCart
Congratulations! Now that you know how to avoid these four common frozen meat packing mistakes, you’re one step closer to operating a thriving farm to table e-commerce business.
Your next step is to invest in a powerful farm e-commerce platform like GrazeCart. Our software lets you build a custom website, manage online orders with ease, track your inventory, and boost your sales with features like automated subscriptions and a customer loyalty program.
Give GrazeCart a try by launching your free, two-week trial today.