Zimmerman family expands operations at Renick Valley Meats

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV

In West Virginia’s cattle country, a revamped processor run by a young family is making moves. 

Jesse Zimmerman and his wife, Anna, purchased Countryside Meats in Renick, WV, two years ago. After upgrading their meat processing facility, they’ve expanded operations to include custom and commercial services for folks across southern West Virginia. Their new name is Renick Valley Meats. 

“Before the business was purely ‘custom,’” explains Jesse. “What that means is we would process whole and half animals for people, but you’re not allowed to sell retail cuts. That changed this summer. We got a commercial license and we started retail as well.”

On Fridays and Saturdays, customers line the driveway to pick up their custom cuts of beef. When I visited last Friday, cars from Pennsylvania, VIrginia, and West Virginia pulled up to pack their coolers with beef processed by Jesse’s crew at Renick Valley Meats. 

“RIght now, we process an average of 12 beef and 12 hogs per week,” he says. “This is our busy season. I’m at max capacity.” 

He plans to continue upscaling the growing business to accommodate the demand for local meats. 

‘We were ready to come home’

Before moving to Renick, Jesse and Anna lived in Nicaragua for seven years. They wanted to get closer to home and make a change in lifestyle. 

“We wanted to buy a farm closer to our family,” Jesse says. “My parents are in Virginia, and hers are in Wisconsin.”  

Their search came up empty, until Jesse expanded to include West Virginia. 

“Anna had never stepped foot in West Virginia before,” he chuckles. “I found this place. I said to her, ‘Do you want to do something crazy–buy a farm that comes with a business?’”

“Maybe…” she said, hesitantly. 

Anna was pregnant at the time and sent Jesse and their oldest daughter, Alexandra, to visit their options in person. They visited Renick and a farm close to Jesse’s parents. 

“Alexandra had a big role in picking out where we were going to live,” Anna says as Alexandra holds her little brother inside the business. “She really liked this place. She and Jesse went to the bookstore in Lewisburg, ate lunch at Stardust, and she played in the fields.”

Then father and daughter went on to stop number two, a small farm nearer to Jesse’s parents. Alexandra issued her decision in the form of a song. She sang, “I don’t think…we are going…to live here….” 

Anna said to her family, “Alright, I trust you two.” And they made the move. 

Two years into farm life in rural West Virginia, Anna says it has been different that she expected. 

“It was more rural than I expected. And farther away from Lewisburg. It needed a lot of work. But this is an amazing community. It’s beautiful in so many ways. It’s been a lot of fun!”

Jesse still remembers the first time Anna stepped foot on the property and inside the house, which is located next to the processing facility. “She said, ‘What did you do?’ And the house was in rough shape. My dad helped us fix it up. It’s nice now.” 

‘Killin it’

There’s a sign leading from the office to the processing floor. It makes the function of the slaughterhouse clear. Anna got it as a joke for Jesse, and it still makes him laugh. 

Jesse hasn’t always been a butcher; he learned the trade over the last few years. It’s the kind of work that many benefit from, but few are capable of doing. With the help of four experienced employees–Derek, Jamie, Ben, and Austin, they process meat for farmers from across the Greenbrier Valley. Jesse says he couldn’t do it without his team. 

“I really like it,” he reflects. “I don’t have to do the same thing everyday. When I get tired of slaughtering, it’s time to cut. When I get tired of that, there are lots of other things that need done.”

He also enjoys being able to provide local food for local folks, which enhances the community’s quality of life. 

“I also really like the mental puzzle of scaling the business,” he says. “My uncle came down and poured the concrete pad and laid the block (When they expanded the freezer room). We added the holding pens so we can sell retail. I look at where are our deficiencies? How do we get bigger? How do we make it better? We will keep scaling up year after year.”

Scaling up isn’t just a dream, though; it’s a logistical necessity. 

“I’m booking for next year right now,” he says in response to my question about how busy he is. “Right now, what happens is people call me. They say, ‘Hey, can you get a beef in?’ I say, ‘In February or March.’”

By continuing to upscale, he plans to add additional capacity, employees, and production, which will enhance the overall agricultural output across Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties for a beef industry that is the state’s largest. 

“People can buy the meats we process all over the place,” he says. “All the HIllsboro Pub beef is raised by Evan Rose, and he processes here. We have meat for sale directly at Nova Jiu Jitsu,” which is located in the old Sears Building beside Tractor Supply in Fairlea, WV. 

“It’s a family business,” Jesse proudly says. 

While he butchers and runs the operation, Anna keeps the books and the office. 

“It’s a really great change from what we were doing before,” she adds. “I can work from home. I can bring the kids up to the shop. That’s how we wanted to design our lives. We didn’t want to be going into offices everyday.”

Where’s the beef?

Renick Valley Meats is located at 1340 Old Renick Valley Rd, Renick, WV 24966. They ask customers to call in advance to place custom orders. You can reach them at (304) 992-4695 or visit their Facebook or Instagram page. 

Their meats are also available for retail sale at Nova Jiu Jitsu, where Jesse is a coach and an accomplished mixed martial arts athlete.  

At Nova, customers can buy ground beef and steaks. Soon, they will also offer other cuts like roasts and lamb from their farm. Nova is open weekday evenings for classes from 5-8pm. Folks can walk in and purchase meat anytime during those hours. 

Jesse and Anna aim to please their customers on a personal basis, saying, “If anybody wants something special, just give us a call.”