Jefferson County-DuBois Area Vocational-Technical School will launch a new “Farm to Refrigerator” meat-processing program in September to help address a shortage of skilled butchers in the region.
WTAJ News reports, School officials said the eight-week adult education program was developed after pandemic-era supply disruptions revealed that a lack of trained workers — not livestock — was limiting meat availability from local farms. The program will be housed in a newly constructed facility funded through more than $2.2 million in state and federal grants.
Local businesses, including Meatheads Market, say the program could provide a much-needed pipeline of workers to support future growth in the meat-processing industry.
