USDA Livestock Research Project

We have some great news to share! The UI Sustainability Center has received a USDA AFRI grant to research processing and marketing strategies for livestock producers in the Palouse and North Idaho. Our goal is to find ways to increase revenues for small and medium-sized livestock producers, and to provide you with information about the opportunities and risks associated with different business strategies.  Based on your feedback and our research, we will also determine the viability of expanding the local meat processing infrastructure.
 

How many local producers are interested in USDA certified local processing?  How many head of livestock would potentially be processed?  How many producers are interested in a cooperative marketing model? We’ll be working towards answering these questions and others to build a foundation for determining the costs and benefits of various strategies.

To determine the potential supply for various local processing options, we’ve developed a brief survey to collect basic information such as the types and number of animals you raise and sell each year.  We will use the data to explore the feasibility of local processing options and your interest in potential branding and marketing strategies. If you are producing livestock in North Idaho (from Riggins to the Canadian border) or in Eastern Washington, you can help strengthen this research project by taking the Preferred Locations for Livestock Processing Survey.

We are also looking for a small number of producers to participate in a more detailed feasibility study of several potential strategies.  Livestock producers who participate in this part of the project will receive a number of additional benefits, including a report with data and maps of your operation, estimates of benefits and risks associated with different processing and marketing strategies tailored to your operation, and information useful to certification processes and marketing opportunities.
 

Finally, to join this project you can:
1.  Keep up to date on what’s happening with this project by signing up for our email distribution list.
2.  Take the Preferred Locations for Livestock Processing Survey (NEW!),
3.  Take the consumer survey (coming soon!),
3.  Volunteer to become an in depth study site by contacting Darin Saul, project director.

Thank you!

This project was supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.