The Rittman Distribution Center spends about two weeks each year canning thousands of cans of meat in order to provide a high-protein product to ship to those in need.
A trailer is rented from Mennonite Central Committee each fall and spring which includes the necessary equipment to seal the cans and process the meat in canners as well as several men trained to run the canners. Volunteers follow USDA approved procedures to grind the raw meat and fill cans to the appropriate weight. After the meat is processed in the canners, volunteers wash and label the cans.
Under the operation of one of the trained canning men, a machine seals the lid on each can. Then volunteers catch the cans and stack them in the metal baskets which are hoisted into the large canners.
A machine prints the dates and other information on the top of each can before it is packed into boxes to be distributed locally, nationally, or internationally.