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From farm to butcher: Midwest Meat Summit tackles supply chain gaps

Livestock producers and processors are gathering in central Iowa to discuss how to work together better. 

Practical Farmers of Iowa livestock systems manager Margaret Chamas says the Midwest Meat Summit in Ankeny is one of several events happening across the Midwest.

“Just to bring together the entire value and supply chain in the meat industry, so everything from the farmers raising the animals to the people distributing, processing, butchering, moving them along. Because every part of this supply chain tends to be so isolated from each other.”

She tells Brownfield volume swings among local butchers need to be smoothed out.

“Where a little bit of planning, a little bit of projecting, could possibly alleviate some of that. So that the processor has an easier time scheduling (and farmers) have an easier time getting in, everyone is going to actually end up more profitable if we can plan this.”

Session topics include slaughter timing, the effectiveness of food hubs, and policy trends in meat processing.