Zoning for a Crothersville slaughterhouse has been approved by Jackson County Board of Zoning Appeals during a recent meeting.

A special exception OK’d on Oct. 13 by the 5-member board will allow for the construction and operation of White Oak Custom Meats, owned by Chad Reynolds, on 2.51 acres at 11276 E. County Road 500S.

The property in Vernon Township lies in an agricultural zoning district.

Reynolds also had to seek and receive variances from minimum required front, side and rear setbacks of 150 feet for the construction of the 50-by-77-foot slaughterhouse to 80 feet.

In his business description, Reynolds wrote that he has been around the butchering process most of his life and wanted to put that to use while seeing a need for more butcher shops in the area.

He also wrote that he plans to process 15 animals a week for the first year, but hopes to increase that number to 40-plus if the processing, cleanliness and customer service can be kept up to standards.

Reynolds also said he eventually plans to become certified by the United States Department of Agriculture so he can be allowed to sell meat out of a butcher shop.

Once it opens, White Oak will offer custom meat processing for customers to bring in their own cattle and hogs to be processed into whatever kind of meat is their preference, he said.

“Whether it be all hamburger from a cow, bacon, pork chops and/or tenderloins from a hog, whatever the customer’s choice is on that meat is what they will get,” Reynolds said. “With the ever-changing world, a lot of people have went back to raising their own cattle and hogs for meat since you never know what the store-bought meat can be contaminated with.”

The business mission for White Oak is “to provide the best all-around custom meat services, cleanliness and customer care that will entrust in the business being around for years to come,” according to Reynolds.