Meet the Meat
Sustainable Agriculture
Brittany Demezier
Food Systems Coordinator
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - Dubuque County
Dubuque
Abstract
Connecting consumers with their food can be challenging in today’s world! With a multitude of options at the meat counter, consumers can often be overwhelmed with the amount of choices when it comes to buying their meat. Should they choose organic, grass-fed, pasture–raised, or conventional? What do these terms even mean, and why does certain meat cost more?
Meet the Meat is a program designed to address these issues and connect local producers and consumers. Participants start the evening workshop by learning how animals move from farm to table, where different cuts of meat originate within the animal, and what marketing terms are used to describe meat. The group then hears from several area producers on their farm practices and learn why they produce meat the way that they do. Finally, the workshop concludes with a chance to cook hands-on with the local meat products with the guidance of a professional chef.
This workshop has led to a greater understanding and appreciation of local meats among participants in our community, as well as encouraged local universities and chefs to purchase meat from local producers. Following the workshop, half of the participating chefs subsequently purchased local meat from featured producers, and 46% of traditional participants had plans to purchase local meat following the workshop. One participant stated, “I now feel confident picking out quality meat and know what to look for when I am shopping at the grocery store or farmers market.”
Authors: Brittany Demezier
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Brittany Demezier Food Systems Coordinator, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach , Iowa, 52003