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In just its first full year of existence, Minnesota's State Meat Inspection Program has become wildly popular among farmers and small-scale meat processors. By shortening the distance from farm gate to dinner plate, the fledgling program presents a profitable alternative to more traditional marketing options. Created by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) in November 1998, the program is designed to maximize food safety while also making it easier for the state's producers to sell their homegrown beef, pork and poultry directly to consumers. The state inspection program focuses on small to medium-sized meat processors, supplementing the USDA's continuing focus on the largest processors. By taking their livestock to smaller processors, farmers can receive more individualized service. The farmer can also retain ownership of the meat, marketing it directly to consumers under the family's own brand name. In January 1999, only one meat processor had volunteered to register with the MDA program and the state was inspecting a paltry 100 pounds of meat per month. Just 10 months later, the program had jumped to 15 plants, representing a monthly processing volume of more than 100,000 pounds of meat. Today, 16 other processors from around the state are interested in joining the program. MDA officials predict that by March the program could reach 200,000 pounds of meat per month. Food Inspection Supervisor Kevin Elfering says the program's rapid growth shows how much interest farmers have in marketing directly to consumers. "We're seeing this explosive growth because lots of livestock producers want to take control of their own destiny by marketing their own product," Elfering said. "Producers are finding that state-inspected plants are small enough to give personal service, but big enough to provide a variety of services and a high volume of top-quality product." Farmers say they love the marketing flexibility the program offers, and meat processors are attracted to the program because state inspectors can help them update their food handling procedures and technologies. According to Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson, the state inspection program fits nicely with two dominant themes in today's agricultural sector: improving food safety and expanding farmers' marketing options. "Farmers typically get less than 25 cents for every dollar consumers spend on food," said Hugoson. "We often talk about the importance of farmers doing what they can to capture more of that consumer dollar, and we see the State Meat Inspection Program as a tool that can help them do that. This is also an opportunity for small-town businesses to expand. The economic potential for farmers, small businesses and rural communities is encouraging." Elfering said producers are finding creative ways to market specialty meats to consumers. Many choose to sell the meat directly to consumers. Some work out deals with local grocery stores to get their products on the shelves. One farmer from northwestern Minnesota even bought a refrigerated trailer to truck his meat down to the Twin Cities. "Farmers seem to be drawn to the idea of marketing their meat directly," Elfering said. "As popular as the program has become, I really don't see a slowdown for the next few years. This program has really caught the interest and imagination of farmers." |
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