THE HUMANE HAND:

A resource for developing careful and confident livestock handlers in meat plants.

July 2026

Training Tip:

Human vs. Cattle Vision

Understanding how cattle see their environment is key to effective handling. For a firsthand experience in seeing through the eyes of cattle, our workshop participants use augmented reality goggles that simulate cattle vision.

Visit to McCarty Family Farms

Our team celebrated June Dairy Month with a trip to Kansas, where we partnered with McCarty Family Farms to put our Cattle Vision Goggles to work. Ashlynn Kirk, Karly Anderson, and Program Technician Megan Winkelman joined the McCarty team in touring cattle facilities, including milking parlors, treatment areas, cow lounging spaces, and trailers, to experience these environments from a cow's perspective.

During the visit, we also captured a variety of videos that will be used in future training materials to help others better understand how cattle perceive their surroundings.

Strengthening Humane Animal Handling through Research and Education: University of Wisconsin – River Falls and MPSC Partner on Innovations for Meat Processors

An article was recently published on our ongoing partnership with MPSC. Check out the article to learn more about how we’ve worked with MPSC to support meat plants that implement their Rinse & Chill® technology.

Read Full Article here

Thanks for joining us at AAMP!

Ashlynn and Kurt enjoyed meeting you in Milwaukee at the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) Convention! Thank you to everyone who stopped by our tradeshow booth, attended our educational session on humane stunning and building a humane handling plan, and attended our hands-on training session. We’d also like to thank AAMP for inviting us to host two sessions.

Fall Workshops

Humane Handing and Stunning

Enhance safety, animal welfare, and operational efficiency with this immersive two-day training featuring hands-on stunning simulations, real-world handling scenarios, and practical insights into animal behavior.

Sept. 17-18

Stunning Equipment Maintenance and Testing

Build confidence in your stunning program with this hands-on workshop focused on equipment maintenance, repair and bench testing to ensure reliable, effective performance.

Oct. 8

Humane Handling Institute

hhi@uwrf.edu

715-425-4987

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