Vermont State University is constructing an innovative meat-processing center called the "1787 Butchery" to meet the growing regional demand for skilled butchers. The facility, part of the Center for Agriculture and Food Entrepreneurship, will offer hands-on training and educational programs, helping develop a new meat science degree. Funding from the state legislature, grants, and alumni support has made this initiative possible.
The Center for Agriculture and Food Entrepreneurship (CAFE) at Vermont State University (VTSU) has announced the start of construction of a meat processing facility on the school's Randolph campus.
University officials said that the innovative center will directly support the growing regional need for qualified butchers by providing individuals direct access to equipment and instruction on the art and science of meat processing, Vermont Business Magazine (VermontBiz) reported Oct. 21.
The facility is set to open in May 2025 and will be known as the "1787 Butchery," a name that alludes to the founding year and long-standing educational mission of the legacy institutions that now comprise VTSU.
The 1787 Butchery will include a dedicated digitally-integrated classroom, and an environmentally controlled processing floor with professional grinders, cutting, storage and packaging equipment that reflects the latest in industry standards. Additionally, a meat smoker will allow for teaching about working with cured meats.
"Our charge as a career-ready university is to provide the training opportunities to our students that Vermont businesses and industry need," explained VTSU President Dave Bergh. "There is tremendous demand in Vermont and beyond for the local and high-quality meat products that come from our local farms and businesses. That drives the need for the highly skilled workers we will be producing at this new VTSU training center. It is all part of our ongoing work to meet the needs of today and anticipate the demands of tomorrow."
1987 Butchery Should Help Develop Meat Science Degree
When the new meat-processing facility opens, it will be part of the Center for Agriculture and Food Entrepreneurship (CAFE), one of VTSU's four focused Workforce, Community and Economic Development (WCED) centers.
CAFE is the university's newly formed gateway for applied programming in agriculture, food and forestry. It currently offers a wide array of certificate training and is collaboratively developing a new associates degree in each of those fields of study that, pending approval, would be offered beginning in the 2026 fall semester.
The 1787 Butchery is geared to attract students from a variety of academic disciplines, including agriculture, food science, culinary arts and business, all of whom will benefit from learning directly from industry professionals.
"We are thrilled to be home to this innovative center for meat science education," added DeMetris Reed Jr., director of the CAFE meat facility. "This facility will position VTSU-Randolph at the forefront of meat processing education in New England, while reinforcing our university's mission of providing practical, career-oriented learning experiences."
VermontBiz noted that upon completion of the meat processing facility, CAFE will be able to offer hands-on training and educational programs that cover a wide range of topics in meat science — from meat processing and grading techniques to food safety, advanced processing technology and the culinary aspects of meat.
In addition, by partnering with Vermont businesses, from those raising animals, to packinghouses and value-added food producers, students will have opportunities to learn workforce and entrepreneurial skills from innovators throughout the industry.
"This new facility is a giant step toward improving our food system," noted Anson Tebbetts, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. "Providing local meat for our dinner tables, cafeterias or restaurants does not happen without these important skills. Offering this training could launch a new career while supporting our farmers. We are grateful that Vermont State University has made this a priority."
The university's CAFE program is supported through an Economic Development Authority (EDA) grant and is guided by an advisory committee of industry experts from across the state.
The construction and outfitting of the 1787 Butchery facility was made possible through the support of the Vermont State legislature, the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative, a Community Recovery and Revitalization Program grant, and VTSU alumni.
"We are thrilled for the support of our government, industry, university leadership and alumni in making possible the construction of this dedicated hands-on learning space," said Glenn Evans, executive director of CAFE. "In a time of transformation, we are collaboratively rebuilding and reimagining our working lands programming to create engaging, relevant and robust student experiences."
Today's top stories
