In recent years, the need to train meat cutters and butchers has increased across the nation. Despite already having a robust butchery program, Central Lakes College (CLC) is taking further action to address this demand. The college’s campus in Staples recently held a grand opening for their new, state-of-the-art modular meat processing facility, thanks to a partnership with Minnesota Farmers Union. 

Rural Development made two awards that helped fund this innovative facility: a $604,000 grant through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program and a $1,500,000 Rural Economic Development Loan. With the help of additional funding from other agencies, Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) purchased the mobile meat processing unit for CLC and Ridgewater College to operate through their Meat Cutting and Butchery program. 

MFU’s purchase and installation of the meat processing unit addresses the significant supply chain bottleneck in meat processing. Central Lakes College President Dr. Hara Charlier said the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the importance of butchery in the workforce, a need that was not being met. 

“It became obvious to everyone that meat cutting and butchery was a really important workforce need that we were not meeting as a nation,” President Charlier said. 

The new facility is helping expand the college’s robust meat-cutting program. Students interested in meat cutting will join a one-semester program to use the two mobile processing units­ — one unit is where meat is hung to age, and the other serves as the cutting and wrapping station. 

The butchery program is now in its third year, and the new facility is set to enhance the curriculum significantly. Students, who previously had to travel to various training locations, can now practice butchery at the new centralized location. This not only improves the learning experience but also boosts the local economy by reducing travel costs. Furthermore, the facility will serve as a recruitment tool for prospective students, bringing more opportunities to the local community. 

Stakeholders involved in this facility’s success was largely due to the numerous partners coming together to make it happen. The CLC Ag & Energy Center, EDA, AURI, and Rural Development all joined forces, demonstrating the power of collaboration in our community. It was this collective effort that led to the $9 million total that made the meat-cutting facility come to fruition, a testament to our shared commitment to rural development. 

“No institution could have achieved this type of comprehensive solution without these tremendous partnerships,” President Charlier said.