Source: Michael Fielding, MEATINGPLACE 9/2/16


The Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN) has developed a new set of short fact sheets on the basics of meat processing, available for download from the NMPAN website.

The local food movement is booming at a time when consumers are more optimistic of the food system overall, and small processors are getting into the game, aided by legislation and government grants. Lawmakers in several states have introduced proposals that would bolster the local food industry. For a closer look at those bills, explore meatm.ag/lawlocal or scroll down for a closer look at the interactive map at the end of the story.

The four short fact sheets cover the following topics:
• What is local meat processing? 
• What are the rules? 
• Small plant economics 
• New plant checklist 

"We designed our new 'Crash Course' to answer basic questions we get all the time," said Lauren Gwin, director of NMPAN, a national network made up of processors, butchers, farmers, distributors and government agencies. "From the day we launched NMPAN in 2007, we have helped not just processors and producers but a wide range of organizations and agencies – food system non-profits, cooperative extension, local government, economic development – understand the ins and outs of meat processing. Our new fact sheets pull that info together in a concise, easy to digest way."

This month, Meatingplace is publishing a multimedia package that examines the growing consciousness among consumers for sustainable food — and how both producers and processors are responding. For a deeper look, visit meatm.ag/ownyard.

For more information, go to www.nichemeatprocessing.org/.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.