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Some Marshall County meat producers will participate in an educational series through the Marshall County Iowa State University Extension and Outreach office.
Program Coordinator Chelsea Llewellyn put the three-part series together this year after attending an Agriculture Professional Development Day. Another county extension office presented the idea to her.
"I have many local partners and farmers that I am in connection with. and thought it would be great to give back to our community," she said. "A lot of times our community members are not aware of just how many local farms are producing their own meat to sell to clients right here in Marshall County."
The Meet the Meat workshop series kicks off Wednesday with beef by Tow Simmentals & Wagyu, followed by pork on Dec. 16 with LimeStone Station, Kaleb Appelgate and Cody Mead and; poultry on Jan. 20 with the Long-Crow Family Farm. They will begin at 6:30 p.m. on those nights at the Extension office and will feature tips on how to select quality cuts of meat, guidance on how to buy locally and will give consumers the chance to have conversations with the producers
The workshops will also feature cooking demonstrations and preparation techniques. She said simple, delicious, meal recipes using the locally sourced proteins will be featured.
As a member of the livestock industry, Llewellyn knows it is important for producers to connect with locals and share the importance of what they do to get their meat from start to finish, or to the sale barn to be finished. She also knows not all Marshall County residents know how to choose a local producer to purchase meat from.
"Hopefully this will jump start our community members to choose local when they can," she said.
By providing some education, Llewellyn also hopes to increase the understanding consumers have about the time and commitment involved with meat production. While the overall price of chicken and pork has decreased in the last 12 months, the price of beef rose roughly 20 percent in the country.
"It is a lot of work and farmers do not oversell meat," she said. "They have a lot of time and resources behind the animals."
Consumers are not the only ones feeling financial stress. Iowa farmers have had to deal with rising production costs and uncertain trade markets.
"I hope this series will help boost sales and traffic for the producers to help their business boom," Llewellyn said. "If consumers do not know how and where to buy local meat, then how are they expected to buy locally?"
If the new series goes well, she plans to host it annually or every other year, bringing in different producers.
"I always say come for the food and stay for the education," Llewellyn said. "We will have many educators and producers present at each workshop. It will be informative, fun and delicious. At the cost of only $30 you get knowledge on how to select meat, new farmers to potentially purchase meat from and a great meal! I hope to see many people there. All participants must register 2 days before each series. You can register for one, two or all three nights.
SERIES INFO
Name: Meet the Meat
Location: Marshall County Extension Office
Address: 2608 S. Second St.
Dates: Beef, Wednesday; Pork, Dec. 16 and; Poultry, Jan. 20
Hours: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Registration: Each workshop costs $30 and registrations have to be completed at least two days in advance. Call 641-752-1551 and ask for Llewellyn to secure seats
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.