The Evolving Landscape of Small Meat Processing with Rebecca Thistlethwaite

The Evolving Landscape of Small Meat Processing with Rebecca Thistlethwaite

Episode 44 | This week, Katie Olthoff sits down with Rebecca Thistlethwaite of the Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network (NMPAN), a national Oregon State University–housed extension community serving small/very small processors and direct-market producers with free membership, webinars, and no-cost technical assistance. They discuss how, since 2020’s extreme backlog, many plants now face low utilization—especially in beef—due to a smaller cattle herd, pushing processors to market for business via basic websites, online cut-sheet forms, and testimonials. She emphasizes building long-term producer–processor partnerships, transparent yield data to reduce disputes, and feedback on carcass finish; USDA remote grading is growing mainly for larger “small” plants and retail channels. Key processor challenges include rising production costs (utilities, disposal, packaging), labor, and inconsistent volume; solutions discussed include energy upgrades, composting/digesters, labor-saving equipment, and diversification through retail counters, consignment freezers, wholesale, and value-added products. They note MPEP grant interest and a modest increase in independent poultry processing, and Rebecca highlights untapped innovation potential in U.S. pork marketing. And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! * https://choplocal.com/ [https://choplocal.com/] * https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/ [https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/] Chapters * 00:28 Pandemic Processing Crunch * 01:32 What NMPAN Does * 02:33 Top NMPAN Resources * 04:42 Utilization Drops and Marketing * 08:09 Websites and Online Cut Sheets * 11:39 Building Producer Processor Trust * 15:12 Yield Data and Transparency * 19:15 Remote Grading and Quality * 23:04 Today’s Biggest Processor Challenges * 25:35 Energy Waste and Labor Solutions * 28:30 Disposal Options Incinerators Digesters * 30:28 Carcass Waste Solutions * 32:22 Retail Counters Boost Margins * 34:11 Meat Vending Machines * 35:12 Freezer Consignment Deals * 37:48 Wholesale Routes and Risks * 41:16 Value Added Sausage Strategy * 42:52 Restaurant Sales Reality * 44:20 MPEP Grant Breakdown * 48:55 Inspected Poultry Trends * 51:55 Pork Innovation Opportunity

Artificial Intelligence in the Field: Exploring Innovation and Ethics with Professor Chad Fiechter

Episode 43 | Today, Katie Olthoff of the Meat Success Podcast interviews Purdue agricultural economics, professor Chad Fiechter about practical, responsible use of generative AI in agriculture and small businesses. Fiechter describes adoption ranging from “Google Plus” style queries to farmers building custom web apps, and emphasizes using AI as an iterative thought partner rather than an answer machine. They discuss risks of sharing sensitive data, the importance of reading platform terms, and how paid/organizational accounts can limit model training via privacy settings. To guard against hallucinations, Fiechter recommends requesting sources, verifying with multiple external references, and matching skepticism to the stakes. He encourages transparency about AI use, owning outputs as the author, using adversarial prompts and cross-checking with other models, and providing strong context/examples to improve results, especially for marketing and management tasks. Connect with Chad here: https://ag.purdue.edu/commercialag/home/team/chad-fiechter/ [https://ag.purdue.edu/commercialag/home/team/chad-fiechter/] * 01:17 Chad’s Journey from the farm to Purdue * 03:19 How Farms Use AI Today * 05:05 Building Custom AI Tools * 10:44 Iterating Like a Pro * 12:50 Data Privacy and Paid Plans * 16:48 Hallucinations and Verification * 23:18 Owning AI Output * 29:14 Adversarial Prompts and Model Battles * 37:21 AI as Small Business Coach * 41:24 Give AI Better Context And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! * https://choplocal.com/ [https://choplocal.com/] * https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/ [https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/]

How to Unlock Grant Funding with Stephen Ussery: From MPEP to LAMP Grants

Episode 42 | Katie Olthoff hosts Stephen Ussary of Stewards Unlimited to discuss current USDA grant opportunities. They explain the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPEP) Phase 4, focused mainly on equipment (and limited renovations) for processors that slaughter beef, with eligibility for small/very small and some larger “intermediate” processors, required matches (25% equipment-only; 50% expansion), and an August 7 deadline; awards are limited and likely competitive, with scoring tied to goals like increased capacity, producer income (including toll processing), new markets, safety/training, and waste management, plus letters of support including from government officials. They also review LAMP programs due June 5—FMPP, LFPP, and RFSP—emphasizing partnerships, marketing impacts, and competitiveness, noting processors may be eligible but rarely funded recently. They mention other opportunities (state programs, Farm to School, SARE, Value Added Producer Grants) and Stewards Unlimited’s free grant alerts. Join here: https://stewardsunlimited.com/ [https://stewardsunlimited.com/] * 01:15 Grant Journey Lessons * 02:19 MPEP Overview and Eligibility * 04:45 Funding Tracks and Competitiveness * 07:41 Scoring Rubric and Priorities * 14:19 Reapplying and Inspection Rules * 17:18 Match and Application Strategy * 20:33 Future of MPEP and Farm Bill * 21:38 LAMP Programs Overview * 23:03 RFSP Partnerships Explained * 30:52 Weigh Your Options * 33:58 Should You Apply This Year * 39:59 Other Grants and Alerts * 42:00 Grant Deadlines And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! * https://choplocal.com/ [https://choplocal.com/] * https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/ [https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/]

How to Turn Farmers Market Customers into Year-Round Customers

Episode 41 | In the final spring-season CHOP Local University webinar, Katie explains how farmers market vendors can use an online store to increase sales through pre-orders for market pickup and year-round ordering, citing survey data showing only 9% of direct-to-consumer meat farmers have online stores but 71% of farms selling over $200,000 do, and that average sales are $140,000 with e-commerce vs. $81,000 without. She outlines actions before, during, and after market season: optimize store usability (fast loading, easy product discovery, sell by package/weight ranges rather than exact weight, and answer common customer questions), create signage/QR codes, collect emails using lead magnets, and train customers to pre-order with incentives and scarcity. After season, she recommends frequent short emails with clear calls to action, scheduled pickup “meetups,” and holiday gift bundles, and describes Chop Local’s marketplace, vendor tools, shipping requirement, and support options. Ready to elevate your brand and business? Make sure to sign up for the StoryBrand Workshop here at https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/storybrand [https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/storybrand] And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! * https://choplocal.com/ [https://choplocal.com/] * https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/ [https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/] 00:29 What Is Chop Local 01:57 Meet Katie Olthoff 02:50 Survey Data Insights 04:23 Online Store Advantage 06:13 Candace Success Story 07:36 Three Phase Strategy 08:41 Optimize Store Basics 09:42 Sell By Package 12:19 Answer Customer Questions 13:16 Signs and QR Codes 15:02 Collect Emails at Market 16:55 Lead Magnet Explained 18:37 Coupon Funnel Q&A 21:18 QR Signup Best Practices 23:09 Push Preorders Online 24:07 Scarcity With Preorders 26:08 Email Cadence Made Simple 29:08 Calls To Action That Convert 31:00 Offseason Pickup Meetups 32:56 Holiday Gift Box Push 35:41 Quick Strategy Recap 38:34 Next Steps And Offers 44:01 Tools Q&A And Wrap

Strategies for Managing Stress and Sleep on the Farm with Sarah Ivan Zastrow

Episode 40 | Katie Olthoff of the Meat Success podcast interviews Sarah Ivan Zastrow, a certified exercise physiologist and mental health advocate with a farming background, about stress on farms and practical coping tools. Sarah explains how unmanaged stress worsens health outcomes and shares low-cost strategies farmers can use with limited time, focusing on sleep: reframing sleep beliefs, writing down looping thoughts, guided meditations/hypnosis (including Calm/YouTube), and addressing sleep apnea with CPAP. They discuss how poor sleep increases irritability and pain, the role of iron/ferritin in restless legs, and using stretching/legs-up-the-wall before bed to reduce cortisol and signal safety. Sarah distinguishes stress from anxiety and depression as spectrum experiences, describes recognizing “volcano” buildup and intentional cooldown, and notes when medication and therapy can help. They also address farm-culture stressors like women carrying the household load, boundary-setting, outsourcing, and using tools (reminders, grocery lists, AI for planning) to reduce mental load. Sarah points listeners to her Throwing Wrenches, Mending Fences podcast and YouTube. Ready to elevate your brand and business? Make sure to sign up for the StoryBrand Workshop here at https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/storybrand [https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/storybrand] And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! * https://choplocal.com/ [https://choplocal.com/] * https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/ [https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/] ----------- * 01:12 Sarah’s Farm Story * 02:51 Why Stress Matters * 04:57 Sleep and Farm Stress * 08:29 Notebook Loop Closing * 11:00 Meditations and CPAP * 14:26 AI CBT Sleep Reframe * 20:31 Stretching Before Bed * 24:02 Anxiety and Depression Basics * 26:20 Stigma and Spectrum * 28:01 What Causes the Cloud * 29:07 Hidden Stress Signals * 29:54 Volcano Adrenaline Model * 31:25 Spotting Your Explosion Signs * 32:48 Cooling Down On Purpose * 34:04 When Tools Aren't Enough * 36:22 Meds Therapy And Insurance * 39:13 Farm Culture And Burnout * 42:29 Sharing The Home Load * 48:16 Systems That Actually Help * 50:26 AI Cleaning And Outsourcing