By Tanner Hood

Customers find fine service and family tradition tucked away among the cattle pastures and poultry houses of south Morgan County at Weaver Meat Processing. 

Brothers Titus and Stanley Weaver have taken the once-small, Hartselle-based family business to new heights while never losing sight of where it all began. 

“My grandfather, Eli, was struggling with a dairy farm in Orrville back in the ‘80s,” said Titus, 29. “The whole family was big-time hunters, and they had a venison bologna recipe and started making it for neighbors who were also struggling. Before they knew it, they put up a little building and moved out of the kitchen to start processing deer in a more commercial setting.” 

As the business grew, Eli’s son Leonard became involved. In 1997, Leonard moved the family, and business, north.

“When Dad first moved here, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to do meat processing,” said Stanley, 31. “He considered several options, such as chicken houses, but finally decided on a butcher shop. We’re extremely thankful he chose butchery because we’ve been in the business for a long time, and we still love it to this day.” 

Titus and Stanley are part of the third generation to process beef, pork and venison for customers. Their five brothers and two sisters have earned their processing chops, too.

“Every single one of us boys grew up cutting meat here in the butcher shop,” Stanley said. “We’d start with small tasks at around 4 or 5 years old and progress as we got older. Working with our family has been a tremendous blessing.” 

Although none received “formal” knife training, they cut their teeth through practice and shared experiences.

As the Weaver men have grown, so has the scale and scope of the operation. In 2024, Weaver Meat Processing harvested over 1,000 head of cattle; nearly 1,300 pigs; and a new personal record of 4,763 deer.  

The Weavers have also raised the stakes by adding a 6,000-square-foot facility and becoming U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspected. 

Stanley said they are the only USDA American Marketing Services Remote Grading certified processor in Alabama — providing a sharp edge in a competitive market. The Weavers digitally upload photos that are graded remotely without an inspector on site, another way to trim fat and increase efficiency.

“We anticipate working closely with farmers to provide data from our remote grading to ensure they make good decisions to have the best genetics, feed-out programs and livestock to create an exceptional product,” Titus said.

Providing quality service and meat is only part of the Weaver story as they continually pour into their community. The Weavers give back through Bama Beef for Those in Need, a partnership with local farmers and Alabama Farm Credit. Cattle producers can donate livestock to be processed free of charge by the Weavers. The meat is then distributed to nearby food pantries.

“We also have customers drive from Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and south Alabama to have their livestock processed here,” Titus said. “(Social media) influencers who ship meat nationwide use our services, and we believe we’re helping develop communities every time those customers take that product home and sell it.” 

However, developing a successful business isn’t without a slice of challenges. 

“Small producers struggle to sell trim meat because it’s not the popular cuts like steaks and bacon,” Stanley said. “We’re trying to do more research with value-added products like sausages, jerkies, snack meats and others to help move the trim.”

As the business grinds on, the Weavers are grateful for God’s providence. 

“The family and team here are very thankful for what God has done for us and for His guidance,” Titus said. “As we pray about how to grow the business, we’re so thankful that He is there every step of the way to give us peace if we’re willing to follow Him.”