The first of two phases of construction is expected to begin next week in south Omaha on the City's first live meat market, where customers can pick out their own animal to be slaughtered.
Tom Meyer is the owner of Tom's Meat Market near 26th and N. He tells NewsRadio 1110 KFAB the project has had some setbacks, but they are ready to begin renovating a warehouse that he hopes will open by the end of November. A second building will be built on the lot next door over the next couple of years.
When it opens late this fall, Meyer says they will have live sheep, goats, hogs, rabbits, chickens and small cattle. Meyer said the animals will come from local producers and will be kept in pens and won't not be visible from the street.
"Customer comes in, picks out an animal. My employee's will harvest the animal and the customer gets it cut up anyway they want it cut up," Meyer says.
Meyer says it's up to the customer whether they want to watch the animal be butchered or not. "Everybody it seems like is wondering where their meat comes from, how it's harvested, is it healthy when it's harvested. Here you get to see your animal ahead of time, if you want to."
Meyer says for those customers who don't have the stomach for it, they can call ahead and place an order and pick up the meat after the harvesting process is complete.