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.