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Recent Webinars
Operating smaller meat and poultry processing enterprises is extremely stressful. Low-profit margins, long hours, workforce challenges, and other issues can easily overwhelm anyone. Add in a bit of additional stress during the Holiday season, and the situation can seem unbearable.
Flower Hill Regional Directors Chris Roper and Dave Carter are joined by Marvin Frink of Briarwood Custom Meats in North Carolina and Lawrence Rhone, owner of Lawrence Rhone Farm and Retreat in Montana. Marvin and Lawrence are both military veterans with experience in dealing with mental health issues.
Field harvesting is growing in popularity as a humane slaughter method that reduces stress on animals and handlers and enhances the quality of meat. But many important factors can make field harvesting relatively seamless or very challenging.
Flower Hill Institute Regional Directors Dave Carter and Chris Roper are joined by Nick Hernandez and Dawn Sherman of Sacred Storm Processing to discuss the considerations of conducting a field harvesting operation.
Risks come in all shapes and sizes for meat and poultry processors. Some of the worst aren't covered by HACCP or Food Defense plans. Fires, tornadoes, long-term power outages, floods, and other catastrophes can all decimate your business.
Flower Hill Regional Directors Chris Roper and Dave Carter are joined by an expert in managing risk in the meat and poultry processing business.
FROM OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS
Previous FHI Webinars
New Opportunities for Alternative Financing for Meat and Poultry Processing
New and expanding meat and poultry processors are no longer limited to working with traditional lenders for their financing needs. Emerging alternatives are broadening the financing horizon for processors. FHI Regional Directors Dave Carter and Chris Roper hosted a discussion with Janie Simms Hipp of the Native Agriculture Finance Services and Alissa Welker of Steward regarding new financing alternatives for smaller processors.
Making the Most of USDA Rural Development Financing Roundtable
Making the Most of USDA Rural Development Financing will focus on unwrapping the financing opportunities and options available through USDA Rural Development and approved USDA lenders. Join us and Joseph Rowell, CEO of North Avenue Capital (a USDA Lender), Brian Wiles of USDA Rural Development, and Meg Jackson of the Center for Rural Affairs (an organization administering Meat and Poultry Intermediary Loan Program funding) as we help unravel the various programs. As well as provide information to help processors – and prospective processors – identify some options that may be a good fit for their business.
HACCP With Less Hassle
Developing and implementing a thorough Hazardous Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan is one of the most daunting tasks required of smaller meat and poultry processors… and one of the most important.
Expert participants will include Dr. Derris Burnett, a Meat scientist and muscle biologist at Mississippi State University (and adjunct professor at Tuskegee University), Dr. Robert Maddock, a Technical Assistance Officer for the American Meat Science Association, and Abbey Davidson, an Outreach Specialist with the American Association of Meat Processors.
Leasing Advantages
During the Leasing Advantage roundtable we dove into the topic of leasing and alternative financing as a tool to minimize capital outlay and maximize the ability to acquire processing equipment. FHI Regional Directors Dave Carter and Chris Roper will host the session, which will include Ian Liddell of Summit Funding Group and Danny Stewart of Providence Capital Funding.
Meat & Poultry Processing
Technical Assistance Program
Overview
Flower Hill Institute, in cooperation with USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations, hosted a webinar on meat and poultry processing technical assistance.
“Several meat and poultry processing projects are being notified that they will receive grant funding. Others have not received grants but still want to proceed with their projects. We want to provide all those enterprises with information on the scope of no-cost technical assistance available,” said Flower Hill Institute Regional Director Chris Roper.
“While this webinar will have some information targeted to tribally-led projects, it will be very relevant to all of the processors we are working with,” he added.
Byproduct Breakdown: Composting and Biodigestion for Meat & Poultry Processors
Composting and biodigestion of slaughter waste are increasingly being adopted as alternatives to landfill disposal. New developments in these technologies are making these technologies more readily usable for smaller meat and poultry processors.
During our one-hour roundtable conversation learn from experts leading the way in helping meat and poultry processors utilize composting and biodigestion to capture value from byproducts currently headed to landfills.
What It Takes to Turn Hides Into Leather Roundtable
Independent meat processors are increasingly searching for ways to capture value from hides currently being sent to landfills or otherwise destroyed.
During our one-hour online roundtable discussion on What it Takes to Turn Hides Into Leather. Flower Hill Institute Regional Directors Dave Carter and Chris Roper were be joined by two national experts in the hide tanning and leather marketing field, Mark Kleinschmit, Co-Founder and CEO of Other Half Processing and Doug Morrison, Technical Consultant, Hermann Oak Leather Company.
Reality Check: The Challenges and Opportunities in Marketing to Retail
Flower Hill Institute welcomed The Sustainable Meats Group partners, Theo Weening and Orien Bedwell, to a roundtable discussion about sustainable meats marketing in the retail channel. MPPTA Technical Assistance Directors Dave Carter and Chris Roper kicked off this one-hour roundtable with a discussion of important insights with Theo and Orien, then opened the session for questions from attendees during this event.
Halal Meat Processing for Domestic Markets
USDA Meat and Poultry Processing Technical Assistance (MPPTA) program presents the Halal Meat Processing for Domestic Markets webinar featuring Agricultural Economist and Michigan State University Ph.D. Candidate Kelsey Hopkins and MPPTA Technical Assistant Director Dave Carter.
This upcoming webinar will cover a wide range of pertinent and beneficial topics regarding #Halal regulatory and certification requirements, current retail and consumer trends, and pricing.
SAM.Gov and Other Requirements for MPPEP II Webinar
To ensure farmers and USDA grant applicants understood the process of applying for federal grants, Flower Hill Insitute hosted a webinar presentation on how to register with SAM.Gov and Grants.gov for federal grant applications, specifically for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program - Phase II (MPPEP II). This webinar event covered the step-by-step process of registering with federal grant platforms like SAM.gov and Grants.gov to secure federal identification numbers for USDA grants.
The SAM.Gov and Other Requirements for MPPEP II Webinar with closed-caption available.
MPPEP Phase II Grant Program Applicant Webinar
Flower Hill Institute (FHI) hosted the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program Phase II (MPPEP Phase II) Grant Program Applicant Webinar for federal grant applicants interested in the MPPEP Phase II program. Presented by Dave Carter, FHI Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Director, and Dr. Robert Maddock, American Meat Science Association (AMSA) MPPTA Technical Assistance Officer, and featuring FHI MPPTA Technical Assistance Director Chris Roper for the end of the presentation Q&A segment.
The MPPEP Phase II Grant Program Applicant Webinar and Q&A Segment with closed-caption available.
The Indigenous Animals Harvesting & Meat Processing Grant (IAG) Program Webinar
On May 11, 2023, Flower Hill Institute hosted a live webinar presentation with participation from Technical Assistance providers from the MPPTA Technical Assistance Providers network, including AMSA and IAC. Presented by Dave Carter, FHI Technical Assistance Provider Director and Dr. Robert Maddock, AMSA Technical Assistance Officer.
The Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant (IAG) Program Webinar and Q&A segment with closed-caption available.
Local Meat Capacity Grants (Local MCap) Applicant Webinar Questions and Answers
Presenters from the Local Meat Capacity Grants (Local MCap) Applicant Webinar participated in a Q&A segment at the end of the webinar presentation. Audience members submitted questions regarding the Local MCap grant opportunity, including new construction, rendering, and eligibility requirements.
The Local Meat Capacity Grants (Local MCap) Applicant Webinar and Q&A segment with closed-caption available.
Local Meat Capacity Grants (Local MCap) Applicant Webinar
Flower Hill Institute (FHI) hosted a live webinar presentation on the USDA Local Meat Capacity Grant (Local MCap) presented by Dave Carter, FHI Technical Assistance Provider Director, and Dr. Robert Maddock, American Meat Science Association Technical Assistance Officer and featuring special guest Sara Hernandez from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
Essentials for Writing Effective USDA Supply Chain Program Applications
FHI, alongside Matson Consulting, American Meat Science Association, and Agriculture Grant Solutions, presented an hour-long webinar presentation on the technical process of applying for federal grants, including strategic techniques, federal grant scoring, and post-grant management.
MPIRG Maximizing this Opportunity with Technical Assistance for 2022 MPIRG R1 Awardees
Flower Hill Institute presented an introductory webinar presentation to the first round of Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant awardees to discuss the benefits and services provided by the MPPTA Program.
An Introduction to Grant-Writing 101
On April 25, 2022, Flower Hill Institute hosted a How-To webinar presentation to help federal grant applicants write an effective, quality grant application and utilize the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance (MPPTA) program.
MORE WEBINARS
Introduction to Grants.gov Video Series
This video series produced by Grants.gov covers the complete Grants.gov application process, from registering and creating a Grants.gov account to finding funding opportunities and completing an application package. To learn more about this video series, watch here.
Rural Workforce Innovation Network Workshops
USDA Rural Development has uploaded its collection of virtual workshops on YouTube with additional information and resources available on its website at www.rd.usda.gov/rwin.