#sunycobleskill

When Samantha Schriber-Vanstrom decided to drive nearly five hours from her western New York home to attend the Harvest New York poultry cutting workshop at SUNY Cobleskill, she did so looking to maximize her small farm’s profits.

“I wanted to learn about how other people operate and ways to process my birds for better cuts,” said Schriber-Vanstrom.  “I'd been quartering some birds for a couple years, but was curious about other ways to attract more customers through other types of cuts. I found that and more at the workshop. It was well worth the drive.”

Schriber-Vanstrom was one of 12 attendees at the October 12 session, part of a series of meat processing and marketing classes co-organized by SUNY Cobleskill and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s (CCE) Harvest New York economic development and sustainability program. Held at the SUNY Cobleskill Meat Laboratory, the one-day workshop was led by Meat Lab Manager Betsy Jensen, Harvest New York Livestock Processing & Marketing Specialist MacKenzie Waro and Culinary Arts Instructor Mike Lapi, who led a hands-on butchering session. 

Participants spent time learning the regulations for poultry slaughter and processing and marketing then visited the meat lab where they observed Lapi butchering a bird, then processed one themselves.

“This was the third class in the series, and it was a big success,” said Waro. “We have been very excited about the success of these workshops. Participants ask great questions, and walk away with new knowledge about meat cuts, marketing and processing.”

Based on the positive feedback following last year’s meat cutting workshops, Waro said Harvest New York and SUNY Cobleskill are beefing up their 2017 schedule. “Participants have been asking for additional workshops on cooking meat, and we will be adding that into our 2.0 meat workshops for the spring,” she said. “Workshop participants gain skills that they can bring back to their business and apply towards the future of their farms.”

At their farm in Kennedy, New York, which Schriber-Vanstrom operates with her husband, Eric, and his father, they milk 85 dairy cows while raising goats, sheep, pigs and Red Cornish chickens. The grass-fed meat is sold direct from the farm and at area farmers’ markets.

For Schriber-Vanstrom, the highlight of the poultry session was came during the processing component of the workshop. “Mike was really good at showing us different things, answering questions and making sure the information was useful,” she said. “Seeing how other people cut their birds and then actually doing my own processing was a great learning experience. Hands-on is the way I learn best, so it was really beneficial to me.

“And having Betsy and Mackenzie there to cover the marketing and regulations aspect in the same day was also really helpful,” she added. “They were good about getting into the nitty gritty of some of the things we as farmers don't necessarily think about.”

Upcoming schedule of classes for meat producers:

February 3- Lamb 1.0 (marketing and processing) hosted at SUNY Cobleskill

March 14-15 Cured Meats hosted at Cornell University

March 17- Beef 2.0 (processing and cooking) hosted at SUNY Cobleskill

April 21- Lamb 2.0 (processing and cooking) hosted at SUNY Cobleskill

May 17 - Pork 2.0 (processing and cooking) hosted at SUNY Cobleskill

May 31-June 1 Cured Meats hosted at Cornell University

To register or for more information, call Linda Serdy, SUNY Cobleskill Office of Professional and Continuing Education at 518.255.5528 or [email protected].

R.J. Anderson is a staff writer/communications specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension.

By R.J. Anderson

It’s no secret that sales of locally grown and processed meat have accelerated at a rapid pace in recent years. For many current and prospective meat producers, raising the animals is the easy part. Knowing how the meat is cut and the sausage is made is not always as instinctive.

Helping producers figure out that piece of the puzzle is a series of meat processing and marketing classes co-organized by SUNY Cobleskill and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s (CCE) Harvest New York economic development and sustainability program. The most recent of these classes focused on pork and looked to provide greater understanding of pork cuts, pork marketing, food safety and sausage making.

Held at the SUNY Cobleskill Meat Laboratory, the one-day workshop was led by Meat Lab Manager Betsy Jensen, Harvest New York Livestock Processing & Marketing Specialist MacKenzie Waro and Culinary Arts Instructor Mike Lapi, who led a hands-on training session.  

It was the interactive, hands-on portion that proved to be the highlight for nearly every attendee, from novice to experienced producers.

“I went to the workshop hoping to learn more about using different cuts of the pig and figure out what might be compromised if we tried harvesting new cuts,” says Riley Warren, whose family has a successful farm that sells grass-fed meats, eggs and other products in farmers markets throughout eastern New York and New York City. “The hands-on portion was so helpful in allowing me to process that information. I’m a visual learner and can watch YouTube videos and see stuff online, but this allowed me to see the cuts being made and ask direct questions as I thought of them.”

For SUNY Cobleskill and Harvest New York, whose goal is to expand and enhance CCE’s regional agriculture programs and spur agricultural development in the state by developing educational programs, the 15-person class marked the second time they had collaborated on a sold-out event. A third event will be held October 11, when participants will learn how to process and market a poultry carcass. The cost for that class, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the SUNY Cobleskill Meat Lab, is $50 per person, which includes lunch and classroom materials.

“We continue to be impressed by the hands-on class interaction between industry leaders and participants for these seminars,” says Waro. “Based on the attendance as well as the post-event feedback we are getting, this is a much-needed learning opportunity.

“And what’s really driven the success of this programming is the collaboration and cooperation between Harvest New York and SUNY Cobleskill,” Waro adds. “SUNY Cobleskill’s Meat Lab is a cutting-edge facility perfectly suited to help Harvest New York meet its educational goals for meat processing education as we look to grow the meat industry in the state. It’s a relationship that’s beneficial to both of us as well as producers in the eastern and northern parts of the state.”

To register or for more information, call Linda Serdy, SUNY Cobleskill Office of Professional and Continuing Education at 518.255.5528 or [email protected].

R.J. Anderson is a staff writer/communications specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension. He can be reached at [email protected].