Farm to Freezer: An immersive train-the-trainer program for extension agents, producers, and processors in the SE farm-direct beef and goat industries

Commodities

Practices

The pandemic and other factors have exposed “a food system that is rigid, consolidated, and fragile (Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, 2021).” The closure of many of the large meat packing plants during the beginning of the pandemic led to supply chain disruptions that lasted weeks. These disruptions also, ironically, fostered the resurgence of the small meat packing industry and increased marketing opportunities for underserved producers. Federal and local governments subsidized the construction of small processing facilities to expand capacity, but this also exposed a training gap among underserved producers, processors, and extension agents. Therefore, there is a critical need for programs to foster better producer-processor relationships and equip extension agents to support this sector. Our team includes experts in extension, meat processing, and regulatory requirements who will deliver comprehensive hands-on workshops on farm-direct beef and goat marketing and create a dynamic train-the-trainer experience for stakeholders in the farm-direct pipeline.

Our overarching goal is to improve the long-term viability and quality of life for small and underserved meat producers and processors and increase the productivity and sustainability of small-scale producers via these marketing outlets. Given the critical need for training described in the summary, we will convene producers, processors, and extension agents to train these stakeholders on the processes, pitfalls, and potentials of farm-direct marketing. We will utilize our network of participating farmers to collect data, images, and other material to develop workshop materials relevant to the SE. Our specific objectives are to:

1. Objective 1: Develop a system of best practices and science-based tutorials to improve producer-processor relationships. These resources will facilitate new customer onboarding and decrease confusion on topics including how much meat to expect, packaging, pricing, label regulations, testing and fees. By equipping our producers, processors, and agents with this valuable training, they can help optimize the farm-direct pipeline and  implement more sustainable management strategies that are driven by an improved understanding of the end products that satisfy their specific markets. Eliminating ineffective management practices, unrealistic processing requests, and other inefficiencies that do not directly augment the quality or quantity of farm-direct products will ultimately increase the sustainability and profitability of the meat production pipeline for small producers in the Southeast. This will also instill the confidence and competencies necessary for small-scale producers to interact with local processors and marketing outlets to more effectively merchandise and retail their products.

2. Objective 2: Develop and implement training workshops that begin on the farm with live animals and end up with packaged products for retail. These workshops will focus on the core concepts and considerations as well as the interdependent relationships needed for an effective farm-direct meat processing pipeline. Program participants will visit farms ranging from intensive feeding to grass fed and browsing operations for beef and goats. Participants will then participate and/or observe the harvest, fabrication, packaging, weighing, and labeling of these products to demonstrate the actual dressing percentage, cutting yield, etc. These trainings and resources will assist producers, processors, and agents in identifying production targets, estimating yields, and calculating break-even pricing. Participants will be given pre- and post-assessments on their understanding of the workshop content. Success of the program will be determined by the ability to effectively improve the knowledge base of the participants in these categories such that they can implement these concepts as they provide scientifically sound guidance and advice for local producers and processors. We will also enlist an outside evaluator to assess the overall effectiveness of the programs content and delivery.

3. Objective 3: Empower and support a network of processors, producers, and co-operatives to maximize the efficiency of the farm-direct meat pipeline in outlying years. These refined modules will serve as valuable tools for the target audiences beyond the funding period and made available via the Mississippi State and Tuskegee Extension outlets. This program will continue to serve as a valuable tool for the target audiences including continued education of producers, processors, and extension agents beyond the funding period through the continued progressive and modular curricula. We plan to record each workshop, and advanced workshops can be designed to build on the basic principles and address specialty topics as they become relevant to the industry. In addition, this content can be used to provide introductory experiential programming for K-14 students at local schools and junior colleges which will help sustain the talent pipeline necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability and viability of the small-scale meat production pipeline. In this manner, the current proposal addresses an immediate need, and provides a platform upon which future content can be housed and NextGen talent can be trained.