SPOKANE — Spokane Ag Show attendees will get an up-close look at Washington State University Spokane County Extension’s new meat processing mobile classroom.
WSU Extension purchased the custom-built refrigerated truck in December 2021 using about $210,000 from the state Department of Agriculture under the CARES Act for COVID-19 relief, said Paul Kuber, regional livestock extension specialist.
The truck will be part of a booth during the Spokane Ag Show showcasing WSU’s offerings for farmers and ranchers, Kuber said.
It’s designed to teach about retail and wholesale meat cuts for beef, lamb, pork and goat.
The target audience includes producers and processors, particularly small- to mid-scale processors, Kuber said. He hopes to show “new cuts or innovative ways to look at traditional cuts” used in the meat industry and promoted by national meat commodity groups.
“Anyone from farm to table, we’re trying to get everybody along the distribution chain,” he said.
Kuber also pointed to a “whole food culture” for further processing meat, such as charcuterie or curing.
“They are giving something that’s very particular and very unique to their customer, and so they should command a higher price as a result of it,” he said.
Producers who are direct-marketing meat aren’t competing with national grocery store chains, Kuber said.
“They’re competing with a higher level of product quality and product integrity, and that direct relationship,” he said. “They should be charging a higher price and able to educate their consumers on that.”
Processors also need to be able to educate producers why there are up-charges when they’re being asked to do more, Kuber added.
The truck and trailer can also be set up for small-scale sausage processing. Equipment includes a tabletop saw, knives, scabbards, stainless steel cutting tables for sausage production, grinders, stuffers and several portable smokers.
Kuber said the mobile classroom can accommodate 8 to 12 people.
The university and the state want to bring the education to the people instead of vice versa, he said.
“Small processors might have two to five people in their entire work force,” Kuber said. “To ask one or two people to show up to an educational program that they have to take a day to drive across the state, a day to drive home, and one day of education — and many of these programs were two or three days of education — that shut down their facility for the week, so there were no takers.”
He’s applied for more grants to provide more programs in partnership with the state Department of Agriculture.
Kuber hopes producers and processors can swap ideas on ways to improve efficiency.
“As we learn what they need and we engage with all of these groups, we’re going to be able to tailor-make our educational programs to fit their needs,” he said.
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