Maine FARMcast - Ep. 7 – How to get started with Meat Processing

The Maine FARMcast

Dr. Gregg Rentfrow, University of Kentucky Meat Science Specialist, visited Maine to help with the Maine Meat Cutting School. While he was here, we sat down in my office to discuss what it takes to set up a commercial meat processing facility and what it takes to get setup processing animals for yourself and family.

Gregg started out as a retail meat cutter, then entered academia earning a BS, and MS in Animal and Meat Science from the University of Illinois and PhD in Meat Science and Muscle Biology from the University of Missouri while coaching the meats judging team and serving as the interim meat lab manager. He joined the University of Kentucky as the Extension Meats Specialist in 2006, with an extension/teaching appointment. Dr. Rentfrow received the university’s highest extension award, the M.D. Whiteker Award for Extension Excellence, in 2017. Rentfrow recently received the prestigious Animal Industry Innovation Award from the American Society of Animal Science. He lives in northern Madison County, Kentucky with his wife, Sheila, and their daughter, Brooke.

Dr. Gregg Rentfrow - https://afs.ca.uky.edu/person/gregg-rentfrow

Maine Meat Cutting School - https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-safety/meat-cutting-school/#instructors

Guide to Designing a Small Red Meat Plant - https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/13058

Maine Depart of Conservation, Agriculture and Forestry Meat Inspection - https://www.maine.gov/dacf/qar/inspection_programs/red_meat_poultry_inspection.shtml