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Rethinking How We Train in Meat Processing By David Zarling, NMPAN Program Manager Let Workers Be the Experts One of the biggest mistakes trainers make is talking at people instead of involving them. Adults bring experience, even if it’s not formal. If your training ignores that, you lose them before you start. People call me […]
These companies have designed and built MSUs, from bare bones rigs to complete, fully-equipped systems. Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement. Friesla Friesla, located in Everson, Washington, builds both modular and mobile slaughter, cut & wrap units, and cooler/freezer units. They also occasionally sell used equipment on their site. They help walk you […]
Educational Opportunities and Webinars 2025 Check back soon! Conventions, Roundtables, Conferences and More! 2025 April Black Belt Meat Summit Where: Des Moines, IA When: April 9-11 Description: Join us in Tuskegee, Alabama in advancing market opportunities, building connections, and supporting collective skills development and learning across many segments and scales of […]
Support Us! NMPAN by the Numbers: Our listserv and monthly newsletter have: We provide technical assistance to this many processors each year: Our website receives over: Our YouTube channel has: Our listserv and monthly newsletter have: Subscribers 0 Our newsletter has a double the industry standard: Meat Processors 0 Our Our website receives 20,000 to: […]
This page will discuss retail butchering, which is cutting meat for *mostly* direct sales to consumers with perhaps a little wholesaling. These type of facilities generally do not co-pack for independent farmers. Types of Retail Butcher Shops: USDA Exempt– butcher shop buys in all USDA inspected carcasses (or primals/subs) but does retail cutting and processing […]
Freezing Grant Funds Puts a Chill on Rural America and Our Meat Supply By Rebecca Thistlethwaite, NMPAN Director *The views expressed in this article are those of Rebecca Thistlethwaite’s and not those of Oregon State University where NMPAN is housed. Feel free to reach out to Rebecca if you have a different opinion or if […]
Job Postings Experienced Butcher Location: Des Moines, Iowa Maxwell Custom Beef Location: Des Moines, IA (Near 18th and MLK)Hours: Monday – Friday, 5:30 AM – 1:30 PMCompensation: $30-35/hr or Salary (depending on fit) + Performance-Based Quarterly BonusesOvertime: Potential availability when neededBenefits: Great work-life balance, afternoons and weekends off About Us: Maxwell Custom Beef is a locally-owned business located in Des Moines, […]
Next NMPAN webinar: NMPAN webinars are recorded and archived below, by topic.A few selected webinars from other groups are also listed. Click on a webinar’s title for the slides, speaker info, and recording. Topic Areas (click to jump to a topic): Local Meat and Poultry Processing: the Big Picture Regulations and Policy Plant […]
<< Back This page was created by the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network. Click on the link for more useful meat processing resources. What’s on this page: Why write a customer manual? How to get started Manual outline and sample Next steps and the last word Why write a customer manual? If you’re a meat […]
HACCP and Meat Cutting Courses Blue Mountain Community College has launched their Master Butcher Certificate Program! The program, developed in collaboration with industry experts and the Northwest Meat Processors Association, will provide participants with hands-on training and essential knowledge for success in this rewarding field. Whether you’re looking to begin a career in butchery, expand your […]
If you are a meat producer or processor and thinking about making a foray into wholesaling meat, this new guide is for you! Read the one page Executive Summary here. Download the newly published Wholesale Meat Guide 2024 here! This 32 page guide covers the following topics:
Meat Producer Resources Western Meat school Now available as a self-paced online course, take anytime! Click on the link to learn more. Regulations for selling meat Inspected or not inspected? Live animal or meat? Here are the basic rules. Building a Brand Tools for scaling up and building a branded meat company, including how to […]
One-on-One Marketing Assistance In partnership with the Good Meat Project, we are providing done-for-you marketing packages for farmers, butchers, and retailers to elevate their game. Each participant of Hands-Free Marketing will get a chance to “hire” a marketing professional, courtesy of GMP! Our professionals will help participants with either branding and design or strategic writing for […]
NMPAN Staff Office Hours- Ask questions, get advice Rebecca Thistlethwaite Director Click to Schedule 30 Minute with Rebecca Thistlethwaite, NMPAN Director David Zarling Program Manager Click to Schedule 30 minutes with David Zarling, NMPAN Program Manager Kylie Burriss NMPAN Outreach Specialist Click to Schedule 30 Minute with Kylie Burriss, NMPAN Outreach Specialist Meat & Poultry […]
Here you’ll find links to research papers by NMPAN staff and others. If you have research papers you’d like to see listed here, please send us an email: thistler@oregonstate.edu. Citations listed by order of publication (newest to oldest). Gwin, L. & Thistlethwaite, R. (2024). Meat and Poultry Processing Regulations in Oregon: A Short Guide. OSU […]
By David Zarling, NMPAN’s Program Manager Contact: zarlingd@oregonstate.edu Continued from the newsletter: The Backbone of Operational Excellence Imagine this: It’s a regular day at the plant. The machinery is humming, the crew is banging through beef sides ahead of schedule, and the cutting, packing and grind lines are running at capacity. Suddenly, the rollstock (thermoformer) […]
Staff Rebecca Thistlethwaite Director Rebecca stepped into the Director role at NMPAN in 2019 after three years as the Program Manager. She has a master’s degree in International Agricultural Development from the University of California – Davis and was formerly co-owner of TLC Ranch, a mid-scale organic pastured poultry and livestock enterprise in California. She […]
NMPAN is a university Extension-based national community of practice of people and organizations helping small meat processors thrive by growing our shared wealth of information and innovation. Small and mid-sized plants — when available at all — can lack capacity, equipment, appropriate inspection status, and the human and financial capital to upgrade or expand. To […]
By Rebecca Thistlethwaite, Director of the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network at Oregon State University, and Timothy Delbridge, PhD., Agricultural Economist in the Dept. of Applied Economics at Oregon State University Contact: thistler@oregonstate.edu, timothy.delbridge@oregonstate.edu Continued from the newsletter: Obviously, there are a lot of factors at play, which this short article can’t get into. However, […]
