Harvest NY is working closely with Northern NY and Central NY extension specialists, businesses, and producers regarding meat processing and marketing. The meat industry is experiencing growth and added interest in the production and availability of locally sourced meats and meat products. The prospect of new processing capacity in many parts of New York as well as the development of enhanced educational programs in meat processing at SUNY Cobleskill presents an opportunity for enhanced capacity to support this growth. MacKenzie, Harvest NY’s Livestock Processing and Marketing Specialist has been working with processors and producers to under-stand the strengths and weaknesses in the processing process; from slaughter to fabrication. This past quarter, MacKenzie has been involved in producer meetings. These meetings ranged from beef genetic talks and sheep wool pooling; to Beef Quality Assurance training and farm business summary training. SUNY Cobleskill and Harvest NY is working on a Beef Cutting class, set for May 25. This all-day class is designed for producers who are selling to markets, would like to learn to cut their own meats, or are interested in learning the cuts of beef. The morning classroom session will comprise of the cuts of beef, quality of meat, and marketing your cuts. Participants will spend the afternoon learning the correct way to cut a beef carcass to get the most value for your beef. This is the initial step in a positive partnership to add additional classes for producers raising and marketing other meats and meat products (lamb, pork, shelf stable, and charcuterie). On March 17, Bill Gibson and MacKenzie met with the Leatherstocking Shepherds group to discuss strengths and opportunities within the local lamb and wool markets. It was an informative meeting, and we are all looking forward to working together in the future. New York is home to many diverse meat markets; from farmer’s markets and freezer trade to large city markets. New York has an opportunity to fulfill many markets while allowing for our livestock producers to expand their operations or become more specialized and Harvest NY is there to help see our livestock meat industry grow.

MacKenzie Waro

mlw55@cornell.edu