New Report Summarizes NYS Meat Processor Needs and Perspectives
Amy Barkley, Livestock Specialist
Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program
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New Report Summarizes NYS Meat Processor Needs and Perspectives
May 10, 2021 by Erica Frenay, Cornell Small Farms Programhttps://smallfarms.cornell.edu...
Building a resilient local food system requires sufficient meat processing capacity. The COVID pandemic revealed that NYS did not have the ability to absorb shocks, including increased consumer meat demand, leaving farmers and consumers frustrated and meat processors overwhelmed.
In Fall 2020, a team of Cornell Cooperative Extension educators, Cornell Animal Science Dept faculty, and Cornell Small Farms Program staff embarked on an effort to interview all 300 meat processing facilities that provide services to farmers in NYS. The team sought to gain an understanding of these businesses' interest in expanding or upgrading to a higher level of inspection, barriers to sustainability and growth, and what types of support they needed.
The results and conclusions of these interviews are now available to read and download on the new CCE Livestock Program Work Team website. A longer version with complete literature review and more in-depth statistical analysis will be available at the same link by May 31, 2021.
The team concluded that there is no single, easy solution to the meat processing bottleneck, but there are several areas where investment is needed and would ease the situation for farmers and processors. Availability of grant funding for capacity expansion of all 3 types of meat processing facilities would help. While some new facilities are needed, investing first in expansion of existing facilities will accomplish more with fewer resources. Additionally, funding for full-time staff positions to provide technical support and succession planning to meat processors, as well as meat cutting training and food safety assistance, would provide some relief. There is enormous need for leadership and expertise in this area but currently almost no staff is funded to provide this support.
Additional areas of need are outlined in the white paper.
Upcoming Events
2024 Aurora Farm Field Day
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August 1, 2024
Aurora, NY
The annual Cornell Field Crop Research Field Day will be Thursday, August 1 at the Musgrave Research Farm, Aurora, N.Y. The program features walking and hay wagon tours in the morning and afternoon.
2024 Broiler Field Day at Laughing Earth Farm
August 19, 2024 : 2024 Broiler Field Day at Laughing Earth Farm
Cropseyville, NY
Join us for a free field day to explore broiler production, processing, and finances. Zack and Annie Metzger will be our hosts. They have run this 200 year-old small diversified farm for 8 years. They process their poultry in a 20C kitchen, where they produce value-added products like sausage and dehydrated chicken feet.
2024 Broiler Field Day at Majestic Farm
August 20, 2024 : 2024 Broiler Field Day at Majestic Farm
Mountaindale, NY
Join us for a free field day to explore broiler production, processing, and finances. Brett and Sara Budde will be our hosts. They raise slow-growth organic broilers on their diversified farm in large flocks on woodland pasture. Their birds are processed into whole birds, parts, and chicken sausage.
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