History made by family-owned Celina processor

By WYATT MONTOOTH

Clay Co. Extension Agent

CELINA-History was made here on December 18, 2025 in Clay County, Tennessee by local processor D&D Meats, who affixed the first United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) beef grade in the tri-state.

D&D Meats, established in June of 2022, began as a custom processor for local producers in Clay County. 

They quickly became USDA certified on September 19th of the same year and began selling meat directly to consumers in the area.

Recently the company has worked alongside USDA staff to begin grading beef in their facility.

USDA Grades and labels are used to illustrate quality in American agricultural products to consumers across the globe.

Common grades in beef production include prime, choice, and select.  Another label that is commonly seen by consumers is Certified Angus Beef or CAB for short.

D&D Meats has now partnered with longtime customer Southhall Angus to begin raising, harvesting, processing, and USDA grading beef products, all within the state.

This is a great leap for the company and Tennessee agriculture as a whole.

We at the Clay County Extension office are proud of D&D Meats Inc. commitment to providing consumers with a quality Tennessee product and their support of agriculture as a whole.

We are also excited to see their continued growth and impact in our community.