The Meat Up October 2024

Local Meat Processing Support Program at Berkshire Agricultural

IN THIS ISSUE

1. Program Updates
2. Upcoming events
3. Spotlight: Pork Rhyne
4. Resources + Opportunities
5. Job Opportunities

Program Updates

Updated Livestock Farming Resource Directory Now Live Online!

Over the last six months, the Local Meat Processing Support Program at Berkshire Agricultural Ventures has been working with a web designer to make the Livestock Farming Resource Directory more user-friendly. The new platform is searchable, has many filter options, and is better looking too!

Upcoming Events

OCTOBER

10/12 Raising Sheep on Pasture With Ulf Kintzel of White Clover Sheep Farm Candor, NY

10/15 Small Engines Training at the CCE Office with SG Tractors Liberty, NY

10/16 On-Farm Animal Mortality, Roadkill, and Catastrophic Events Composting Training Kingston, NY

10/16 (as well as 22 and 30) Q&A Sessions for Northeast SARE Farmer Grant

10/20-24 Meat Processing and Marketing Workshop Series in NYS

10/20 in Binghamton (register)

10/21 in Oriskany (register at mrm7@cornell.edu 15.368.8603)

10/22 in Cobleskill (register with am2876@cornell.edu or 315-866-7920)

10/23 in Ballston Spa (register with am2876@cornell.edu or 315-866-7920)

10/24 in Hudson (register) Kingston (register)

10/26 Pop up sausage and ribs lunch with The Meat Hook at Wally Farms Ancram, NY

10/21-22 Introduction to Butchering Training S Royalton, VT

10/29 Poultry Health Webinar: Important Diseases and Disorders Seen in Small Flocks  

NOVEMBER

11/1-2 Cornell Sheep and Goat Symposium Ithaca, NY

11/21-22 Inaugural NY Farm to School Summit (Scholarship Application) Syracuse, NY

Spotlight: Pork Rhyne

Do you or someone you know have a creative or collaborative approach we could spotlight?

Contact Ren Constas at Ren@berkshiregrown.org.

Image source: PorkRhyne.com

Based in North Carolina, Pork Rhyne started farming after graduating from North Carolina A&T, which is when he first met Louise the Pig - a foe-turned-friend who changed his life and set him on the path to becoming a Pork Evangelist. Rhyne was at first frustrated and challenged by caring for pigs, until a (literal) fence-breaking moment with Louise changed his perspective. 

On a day off from the farm, Rhyne was called in to deal with Louise, who had broken out of her paddock multiple times. After struggling to corral her, Rhyne finally had her closed into her pen when he turned around to see her charge the gate, lift it off its hinges and throw it twenty feet into the air. 

“That’s when God humbled my heart. I got down on one knee, grabbed Louise by her chubby cheeks, and said, ‘You know what, Louise? I’m going to love you so hard that I just might understand you, because right now I don’t.’”

As quoted by Elaine Tomski

Rhyne went on to change his tact with the pigs, spending time with them, listening to them, learning their needs – and eventually coming to love them. This transformation paved the way for the work he does today.

Pork Rhyne – an award-winning international agribusiness educator and consultant – is known as The Pork Evangelist. Rhyne offers leadership development, brand building and business structuring strategies through one-on-one coaching and corporate consulting for service providers. Rhyne’s work is heart-centered and he brings humanity and compassion to agribusiness consulting and education.

Rhyne works with farmers at all scales - from homesteaders to large agribusinesses to institutions - and around the world: his work takes him to East Africa to work with pig farmers seeking greater market access. He offers virtual and on-site Agropreneur sessions that rapidly boost business growth and branding. 

"Agribusiness consulting is about making sure people know they’re loved and there’s hope for them"

“Agriculture isn’t just farming; it’s land, housing, energy, etc, connecting people with people - dynamic animals playing dynamic roles in dynamic ecosystems”

Rhyne’s approach to consulting looks at the whole system: from soil, to livestock, to farmer, to customer base. For Rhyne, it’s not just about any one of these factors - but all of them are important. And the piece that’s often missing in consulting is the emotional aspect. “People bring their fears, traumas, doubts and disbeliefs into how they run their business. People come to me to talk about money. I help people dig deeper to look at the emotional layers beneath that.” He works with clients to build confidence and community so people will want to invest in their product. His unique approach blends regenerative farming and business marketing with a deep understanding of human nature.

Note: This article draws some information from an article written by Elaine Tomski

Job Opportunities

Livestock work

LIVESTOCK APPRENTICE Glynwood Center | Cold Spring, NY

Full Time $15.50/hr plus housing, education, and other benefits

FARM ASSISTANT Dirty Dog Farm | Germantown, NY

Full Time $20+/hr

FARM MANAGER Helder~Herdwyck Farm | East Berne, NY

Current managing farmers looking to retire, seeking manager to take over the farm

Meat processing work

BUTCHER'S APPRENTICE Hudson & Charles Grass-Fed Meats | New York, NY

Full Time $15-20/hr

Front of house

GM/FRONT OF HOUSE Reclamation Foods (formerly Heart & Seoul Food Co.) New York, NY

Full Time $30-35/hr

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures acknowledges that we live and work on the unceded land of the Mohican, Munsee Lenape, and other Indigenous peoples. We recognize that the United States was built on stolen land and that all systems in this country are built on the stolen labor of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other people of color. 

You can read BAV's full statement on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging here.