Sessions begin February 10 and continue through March 24
COLUMBIA, Tenn. – Consumer demand for beef is sizzling, and more producers are interested in offering locally-raised steaks, roasts, ground beef and other cuts directly from the farm to the consumer.
“U.S. beef consumption remains strong even with relatively high beef prices,” says Megan Bruch Leffew, value-added agriculture marketing specialist with the University of Tennessee Extension Center for Profitable Agriculture. “We continue to receive requests for information from cattle producers about how they can tap into this market and sell meat products directly to consumers.”
To help fill this demand for information, UT Extension is offering a free, six-session webinar series beginning February 10. The series called Farm to Fork: Considerations for Direct-to-Consumer Beef Sales will be presented online via Zoom every Tuesday evening through March 24, with a break on March 3. The sessions will be held from 7-9 p.m. EST/6-8 p.m. CST.
“Sessions will cover a range of topics including regulations for marketing live animals for custom-exempt processing and meat, genetic considerations for beef production, finishing cattle effectively, how to pencil out your potential for profit, pricing considerations, what producers need to know about their product, tips for working with processors, marketing resources and assistance available and more,” according to Anthony Shelton, livestock marketing area specialist for UT Extension.
Instructors will include representatives of the Tennessee Beef Industry Council, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, meat processors and value-added beef producers. Extension Specialists from UT’s Departments of Animal Science, Agricultural and Resource Economics and Center for Profitable Agriculture will also be teaching sessions.
Interested producers should register at tiny.utk.edu/FarmtoFork to receive links to join the sessions. Reach out to Leffew or Shelton with questions about the series at mleffew@utk.edu or ashelton@utk.edu.
Producers participating in at least five of the webinars will receive one educational credit for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Producer Diversification Cost-Share for the agritourism and value-added sectors. Questions about TAEP should be directed to the TAEP Producer Diversification Coordinator at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture at producer.diversification@tn.gov.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.