Farmer education and hands-on training to enhance sustainability of small-flock poultry meat production

Commodities

Practices

There is continuing demand for locally sourced foods, especially meats, and increasing interest in small poultry flocks. This project aims to increase knowledge among small poultry producers and empower current and potential small poultry producers to raise, process, and market their own poultry meat. Target participants are current and potential small-scale poultry producers throughout Missouri. During this three-year project, 24 webinars, 8 workshops, and 2 field days, and 1 train-the-trainer event will be conducted to provide participants with technical information and hands-on experience with producing and processing meat chickens. Webinars will be divided into two categories: farmer case studies/spotlights, and educational/scientific topics. For the farmer case studies/spotlights, farmers of various experience levels will be recruited to discuss their enterprises and share their experiences. The scientific webinars will be delivered by subject matter experts and will cover topics such as breed selection, small farm biosecurity, housing, equipment, regulations, marketing, nutrition, parasites, and management. Webinars will provide participants with technical information they can access from their homes. Workshops will be conducted in multiple locations throughout Missouri to provide hands-on experience with poultry processing to current and potential poultry producers. Field days will be held to provide participants with additional information, hands-on experiences, and networking opportunities. The train-the-trainer event will empower extension professionals to facilitate hands-on processing workshops with experienced local producers in their areas, thus broadening the reach and impact of the project. Short-term desired outcomes include increased producer knowledge and confidence in raising, processing, and marketing poultry meat. Long-term desired outcomes include improved economic, environmental, and social sustainability of small poultry producers, and increased access to safe poultry products in local markets. Overall, the outcomes of this project will directly support small poultry producers and their communities.

Objectives:

• provide science-based information to increase sustainability of small-scale poultry production
• provide producers with hands-on poultry processing training
• empower extension professionals to facilitate chicken processing workshops

Short-term outcomes:

• increased production, processing, and food safety knowledge among small-scale poultry producers
• increased confidence among new producers to raise and process chickens

Medium-term outcomes:

• producers implement changes to improve viability of their enterprises
• develop small-scale chicken meat producer network
• extension educators facilitate processing workshops in their regions

Long-term outcomes:

• improved economic, environmental, and social sustainability of small poultry producers
• more safe poultry products in local markets
• increased network of support for small producers