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59 Producer Certification in Mobile Processing: Mitigating Lack of Access to Sheep and Goat Processing in Virginia


 To market sheep and goat meat products directly to consumers, producers need to have access to a state/federally inspected facility allowing for the resale of meat. Producers in central, southern and eastern Virginia have limited access to these facilities, experience scheduling delays, and require long transport to harvest animals at available facilities. Successful funding by a USDA grant allowed Virginia State University to design and build a mobile processing unit (MPU) to enhance marketing opportunities for Virginia’s small ruminant producers. To assist in developing a model for MPU launch, a survey of small ruminant producer’s current processing needs and the perceived use and benefits of the MPU was conducted. A link to the online survey (Qualtrics) was emailed to all Virginia Cooperative Extension agents for distribution to their small ruminant clientele and left open for responses for 2 weeks. There were 110 responses; majority were sheep producers (54%) and most respondents had 25 or less breeding females (59%). Thirty-four percent currently marketed meat products directly to consumers and 60% utilized state or federally inspected facilities in the state. Most respondents (43%) processed only 5 animals/year with processing mostly in September - November (46%). A high number of respondents (76%) had experienced scheduling delays in processing over the last year and almost all (94%) indicated the urgent need for additional processing facilities or access to a MPU in their county. Additionally, 65% were willing to learn to harvest and process their own sheep and goats if they could have access to a state/federal inspected MPU. Due to these responses, a MPU Certification Program was launched with the model of training producers to be their own butchers and leasing them the MPU to harvest under custom, state, or federal inspection. The program has 5 modules and covers all aspects of MPU operation and hands-on training on its use.