During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vulnerabilities of the U.S. meat processing industry became apparent as facilities faced closures due to employees falling sick. Staffing shortages led to significant animal waste and depleted freezer stocks in retail stores, highlighting the urgent need for expanded capacity in smaller processing facilities to mitigate future risks.

Through surveys conducted by American Farmland Trust, we learned that expanding small processing operations is challenging because trained labor is scarce despite the relatively high pay and regular hours.

We collaborated with the Piedmont Environmental Council to develop and implement a meat cutter training program. This initiative aimed to address critical gaps in the industry by bolstering the labor supply for regional small processors and facilitating greater access to local processing for small farm operations.

This video captures the journey of establishing this essential program through insightful perspectives from local producers, Belle Ridge Farm and Bean Hollow Grassfed, alongside program educators.

The result of our combined efforts has empowered small farmers with additional avenues for their products and enhanced the resilience of our local food systems.

Foodshed Capital funded this video through a grant/cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the authors' responsibility and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.