Focus Group Looking to Add Value to Existing Meat Products
By: Melinda Barrett
Updated: January 21, 2013
(KING CITY, Mo.) An initiative organized by Northwest Missouri State University is looking to identify concerns in the meat business, and find new ways to make locally produced meat products more readily available.
Farmer, Kim Wells, raises grass fed cows on acres of farmland in King City, and Wells has seen a recent increase in demand for locally raised beef.
"Our sales are out of control, the freezers empty again and it only took a week to do that," said farmer, Kim Wells.
Local meat is quickly becoming a hot commodity, but there's some gaps in the production process.
"When it comes to the next step and being able to sell directly to the customer, it gets difficult, it gets very difficult. We have a very limited amount of processing available," said Wells.
And as more people are wanting local meat, the processing plants can only handle so much.
"And they're booked, they're booked solid. It's not that they don't want to do the animals, they're so booked it's insane, they can't fit anymore animals into their schedule. If I could put ten, fifteen, twenty cows a week through, they would all sell. That's how much market there is for it in this area," said Wells.
It's problems like the Wells are facing, that are effecting the supply chain in all aspects. An initiative organized by Northwest Missouri State called Market Opportunities for Regional Entrepreneurs or MORE, is working to identify the gaps in the industry by meeting with those in the meat business.
"We started looking at what could be done for producers, what could be done for processors, what could be done for consumers and maybe restaurants and meat markets. What could be done to make local meat more readily available," said Ben Blackford from Northwest Missouri State.
"An interest in having higher quality meat, fresher meat, and just having the comfort of knowing where it comes from and how it's being raised," said Lurinda Gilliland from Northwest Missouri State.
MORE is looking to gain feedback through a series of focus group sessions throughout northwest Missouri.
Stanberry: Monday, Jan. 21, and Monday, March 4, at Wabash Junction
Rock Port: Tuesday, Jan. 22, and Tuesday, March 5, at Black Iron Grill
St. Joseph/Savannah: Thursday, Jan. 24, and Thursday, March 7, and Northwest St. Joseph Center, with food catered by Goochy Goo BBQ
Maryville: Thursday, Jan. 31, and Thursday, March 14, at Country Bistro
Chillicothe: Tuesday, Jan. 29, and Tuesday, March 12, at Nico'Z
Clarinda, Iowa: Thursday, Feb. 7, and Tuesday, March 19, at J. Bruners
All meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m., and dinner will be provided.
Seats are limited so individuals are encouraged to RSVP by sending an email to MORENW@nwmissouri.edu.
Farmer, Kim Wells, raises grass fed cows on acres of farmland in King City, and Wells has seen a recent increase in demand for locally raised beef.
"Our sales are out of control, the freezers empty again and it only took a week to do that," said farmer, Kim Wells.
Local meat is quickly becoming a hot commodity, but there's some gaps in the production process.
"When it comes to the next step and being able to sell directly to the customer, it gets difficult, it gets very difficult. We have a very limited amount of processing available," said Wells.
And as more people are wanting local meat, the processing plants can only handle so much.
"And they're booked, they're booked solid. It's not that they don't want to do the animals, they're so booked it's insane, they can't fit anymore animals into their schedule. If I could put ten, fifteen, twenty cows a week through, they would all sell. That's how much market there is for it in this area," said Wells.
It's problems like the Wells are facing, that are effecting the supply chain in all aspects. An initiative organized by Northwest Missouri State called Market Opportunities for Regional Entrepreneurs or MORE, is working to identify the gaps in the industry by meeting with those in the meat business.
"We started looking at what could be done for producers, what could be done for processors, what could be done for consumers and maybe restaurants and meat markets. What could be done to make local meat more readily available," said Ben Blackford from Northwest Missouri State.
"An interest in having higher quality meat, fresher meat, and just having the comfort of knowing where it comes from and how it's being raised," said Lurinda Gilliland from Northwest Missouri State.
MORE is looking to gain feedback through a series of focus group sessions throughout northwest Missouri.
Stanberry: Monday, Jan. 21, and Monday, March 4, at Wabash Junction
Rock Port: Tuesday, Jan. 22, and Tuesday, March 5, at Black Iron Grill
St. Joseph/Savannah: Thursday, Jan. 24, and Thursday, March 7, and Northwest St. Joseph Center, with food catered by Goochy Goo BBQ
Maryville: Thursday, Jan. 31, and Thursday, March 14, at Country Bistro
Chillicothe: Tuesday, Jan. 29, and Tuesday, March 12, at Nico'Z
Clarinda, Iowa: Thursday, Feb. 7, and Tuesday, March 19, at J. Bruners
All meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m., and dinner will be provided.
Seats are limited so individuals are encouraged to RSVP by sending an email to MORENW@nwmissouri.edu.
