Local Meat Processors Provide Valuable Service

Meat processors play an important role for small producers in communities across the West, reports Western Farm Press. Once-plentiful local butcher shops disappeared over time, but when the pandemic revealed supply-chain weaknesses, interest in local processing revived. Producers may face challenges in finding a local processor, but small processors, in turn, are facing challenges in finding experienced help. This feature profiles meat processors in Oregon and Wyoming and discusses the role they play in the supply chain. Bear Mountain Beef, in Wyoming, offers a Butcher School with courses of different lengths, a custom textbook, and an online video library to help address the shortage of experienced meat processors.
Related ATTRA publication: Working with Your Meat Processor