Kentucky Association of Meat Processors Announces Master Butcher Program

With funding provided by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, KAMP will create a program that will bring a trainer to member facilities for training.

The Kentucky Association of Meat Processors acknowledges the issues facilities are facing with finding qualified candidates, access to in-plant training for new hires, and skill development. Over the past few months, the association has worked hard to develop a program for members to help alleviate some of these difficulties. KAMP is pleased to announce that it has secured funding to create and launch the Kentucky Master Butcher Program.

"KAMP identified an area in meat processing in Kentucky that needed to be addressed,” says Jennifer Hardin, KAMP Executive Director. “Training is a vital part of workforce development, and the creation of this program will help meat processing facilities utilize a comprehensive training opportunity. We look forward to developing this program to better serve our members and hope it leads to further improvements and opportunities in workforce development."

With funding provided by Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF), KAMP will be creating a program that will bring a trainer to your facility for training. There are plans to also offer centralized location trainings, but the primary focus is to develop a program that relieves the meat processor of the burden of slowing production or sending people offsite for training, particularly at a time when most facilities are experiencing staffing shortages.

“On behalf of the staff at Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy, it has been our privilege to work with the Kentucky Association of Meat Processors (KAMP) and to now have an integral role in watching their new Master Butcher Program come to life—from the initial developing discussion to a finalized program,” KOAP Executive Director Brandon Reed said. “The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB) approved KAMP’s request for Kentucky Agricultural Development Funds (KADF) up to $472,750 in state funds over a two-year period to create the Master Butcher Program. This unique program will provide the much-needed uniform training to Kentucky meat processors.”

"We are excited to develop an innovative and impactful program to provide Kentucky meat processors with training to increase their efficiency and enhance their food safety systems. We appreciate that the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board invested in our vision to create training that will meet processors where they are, both geographically and in their training needs. Proper training is integral to the success of meat processors and will result in higher quality finished products for the farmers we serve," said Allison Boone Porteus of Boone's Butcher Shop and KAMP Treasurer.

KAMP is currently accepting applications for Master Butcher for the Program. For more information, please email Jennifer Hardin at jennifer@kymeatprocessors.org.

Visit https://kymeatprocessors.org/ to learn more about the association.