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Today, she owns and operates Machetta's Organic Meats. She raises rabbits, beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and organic eggs. Machetta does not use any hormones or antibiotics on her animals. Instead, she uses natural remedies when an animal becomes sick. She also does not use chemicals or pesticides on her land. She explains how important it is for animals to be outside. "They need the sun and fresh air; they can’t be packed into small places," she says. If animals are raised the right way, it benefits those who eat them and those who raise them. Since she began eating the animals that she raises, she has not had to see her doctor. In May 2002, she opened her own USDA certified meat processing plant in north Missouri where she processes various kinds of poultry for small farmers. She decided to build the plant because she wanted to be able to sell her meats, and help other family farmers sell their meats, directly to restaurants and grocery stores. The first year was a struggle, but she is meeting the challenge. Currently, she is trying to get a government grant to aid in funding the plant. In addition, she is working with others on a program that will employ small farmers to raise poultry for the Federal School Lunch Program.
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Ten years ago, Karen Machetta began raising animals after a period of personal medical problems. The foods she ate were making her sick-- so sick that she could not work, cook, or perform many everyday tasks. Her doctor told her that the chemicals found in common food products were making her ill. She could not find any stores that sold "clean meat." She discovered that if she reared her own animals, her naturally-raised meat did not make her sick. At first she did it for her own health, but pretty soon everyone was praising the flavor of her meats. When she attended potlucks, her friends always told her to bring the chicken.