Pasture to Plate
Targeted Programming for Women Across the
Local Meat Supply Chain
Building Confidence, Skills and Leadership of Women
Leadership and Cattle Handling
for Women Producers:
Women Working the in Meat Business
April Shaeffer and Sarah Blacklin
North Carolina State University, Raleigh
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Women’s Cattle Training Objectives
• To provide a non-intimidating atmosphere for learning.
• To enhance the skills & confidence of women cattle
producers.
• Improve relationships and networking among producers.
• To increase female producer activity in Extension programs.
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Phase One Female Producer Training
A foundation was built on Phase One
One day workshop
Topics included:
Pasture Management,
Reproduction & Dystocia
BQA chuteside techniques
(Vaccinations, deworming, ear tagging and checking teeth to determine age)
Low Stress Animal Handling
Moving cattle with body movements without noises
Uses a bud box system
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Phase 2 Female Producer Training
Workshop was a 2 d training
Held October 22-23, 2015 at the NCSU Butner Beef Research Station
22 Female Producers Applied
16 Selected for Attendance (2 veterinarians and 2 vet students)
10 with 0-5 yrs experience
3 with 6-10 yrs experience
3 with 10+ yrs experience
* One participant was from South Carolina
Topics covered were both in class and hands-on learning.
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Phase 2 Hands On Topics
• Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) chuteside:
– ear tagging, vaccinations, haltering, checking teeth, deworming and record
keeping
– Became BQA certified after taking the test
• Truck & Trailer Driving:
– Assessing the truck & trailer, driving in an obstacle coarse
• Tractor Driving Safety:
– Power Take Off (PTO) safety, assessing the tractor, driving in an obstacle
coarse, moving a round bale of hay
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Questionnaire Data on Knowledge Changed
• The questionnaire included 4 hands-on topics answered on a scale of 1-5.
1= Very Low (Know nothing about this topic)
2= Low (Know very little about this topic)
3= Moderate (Know about the topic, but still have more to learn)
4= High (Have good knowledge, but there are things to learn)
5= Very High (Know almost everything about this topic)
• Means and SD are reported.
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Comparison of Knowledge Before and After the Training
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Pre-Training
Post- Training
Tractor Safety
BQA- Record
Keeping
Truck & Trailer BQA Chuteside
Techniques
Scale:
1=Very Low,
2= Low,
3= Moderate,
4= High,
5= Very High
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Additional Comments from Participants
• What did you like most about the training?
– The laid back atmosphere and an all women class made it
easier to learn.
– Hands-on experience.
– Everything!
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Additional Comments from Participants
• What did you like least
about the training?
– I want to learn in
more detail and
wanted it to last
longer.
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Pasture Producer Training
Workshop was a 1 d training
Held June 2, 2015 at the NCSU Beef Educational Unit
26 Female Producers Applied
24 Attended
14 with 0-5 yrs experience
1 with 6-10 yrs experience
9 with 10+ yrs experience
* One participant was from South Carolina
Topics covered were both in class and hands-on learning.
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Female Producer Training
24 Attending Participants
10 had attended a previous women’s workshop
Participants had 705 head of cattle and 1,121 acres of pasture
22 counties of the 100 counties in NC represented
Topics covered were both in class and hands-on learning.
Cattle Nutrition (Dr. Matt Poore)
Plant Growth & Physiology (Dr. Jim Green)
Cattle Grazing Management (Dr. Matt Poore & Paige Kennedy)
Rain Simulation & Root Box Demonstration (NRCS employee Steve Woodruff)
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Comparison of Knowledge Before and After the Training
4.5
4
3.5
Pre-Training
3
Post- Training
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Soil Health
Cattle Grazing Plant Growth & Cattle Nutrition
Management
Physiology
Scale:
1=Very Low,
2= Low,
3= Moderate,
4= High,
5= Very High
Leadership and Cattle Handling for Women Producers:
Outcomes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improved female producer interaction and net-working.
16 participants became BQA certified.
Made Specialists and Agents more observant to female producer needs.
Out of state impact (South Carolina and Georgia).
Partnership between Amazing Grazing & NC Choices.
Partnership with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Additional workshops are planned.
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Background
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase I
9%
Farmer
15%
46%
Prospective
farm
Meat processor
Chef
7%
Food
professional
Meat buyer
7%
9%
7%
Other
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase I
Learn if you’re
making a
profit, how
much of a
profit, and
how to refine
your pricing
using a step by
step “whole
animal”
assessment
tool.
Hands-on
opportunity to
fabricate different
retail cuts for a
diverse marketplace
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase I
Learn how to
make processing
realities match
your business
needs. Identify
common
mishaps and
strategize about
how to
effectively
communicate
expectations.
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase I
Learn about trends in meat markets, tips for
getting to know your customers, and messaging
that SELLS from top industry butcher shop
owners and niche meat professionals.
Discuss muscle,
function, and
marketability.
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase I Take Aways
120
Pre/Post Evaluations:
100% of participants
unanimously reported
greater understanding
and improved confidence
100
80
60
40
20
0
Pre
Post
Most Popular Topics:
• Pricing and Business
Focus
• Hands-on Learning
• Developing a
Professional Network
of Female Colleagues
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase II: Meat-4-Market Training and Impacts
WIM Graduates lead a regional Meat-4Market workshop:
Production-budgets, whole muscle function,
hands-on cutting and marketing
BEFORE: Only 13% reported having a good
understanding of topics AFTER: All
participants reported increased skills in
topics and 70% also reported now
confident in their understanding of these
topics.
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase II: Pasture to Process Resource Development and Impacts
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
VIEWS
Animal Handling Video: How to Handle, Slaughter, and Process
a Chicken: 680 views hosted on 2 YouTube sites.
680
Production/Processing Video Series: Dry Aging Versus Wet
Aging
798
Production/Processing Video Series: Meat Yield: How Much Am 377
I Getting Back?
Production/Processing Video Series: Pasture Management and
Meat Quality
331
Production/Processing Video Series: How to Choose a
Processor That’s Right for You
303
Production/Processing Video Series: Brining Pork and ValueAdded Products
247
Production/Processing Video Series: Value-Added Options for
Sausage Products
176
Production/Processing Video Series: What Packaging Should I
Expect?
181
Over 3,000 total video
views!
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase II: Women ‘Track’ at the Carolina Meat Conference and
Impacts
Overall conference evaluation
survey (completed by 111
participants) revealed 95% of
respondents felt the
conference met or exceed
expectations.
Ann Rose, 2014 Graduate
Kari Underly,
2014 Instructor
Tootie Jones, 2014
Graduate
Jessica Moore,
2014 Graduate
“Great! Jessica and
Tina so
knowledgeable.”
Meredith Leigh,
2014 Graduate
“Great! I love
numbers. They
are important is
not always fun
and sexy!”
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase II: Women ‘Track’ at the Carolina Meat Conference and
Impacts: Women in Meat Graduates Make Waves in the Industry
and Impacts
100% of all participants in the
roundtable discussion agreed
that they gained new info, can
use the info right away,
helped me be more effective.
Inspiring!
“Fantastic as a women to
hear the struggles and
successes of women in the
meat business”
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase I & II: Major Take-Aways and Outcomes
Women Participants at the Carolina Meat Conference
70%
Over the past 5 years, women
attendance increased by
60%
almost 20%
PERCENT
50%
Female Participants
40%
Male Participants
30%
20%
10%
0%
2011
2012
YEAR
2013
2015
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase I & II: Major Take-Aways and Outcomes
Women Working in the Meat Business:
Phase I & II: Major Take-Aways and Outcomes
Amy Price Neff:
Pendulum Fine
Meats
Ann Rose: Rose Mountain Butcher Shoppe
Meredith Leigh: The
Ethical Meat Handbook
Eliza MacLean: Mobile Butcher Shop
SAVE THE DATE:
Saturday, Oct.1, 2016, Female Leadership in Cattle Handling
Sunday-Tuesday, Oct.2-4, 2016, Women Working in the Meat Business
www.carolinameatconference.com/women