The Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network, the Good Meat Project and Kitchen Table Consultants present the Western Meat School Business Accelerator Program, a seven-month, peer-to-peer learning experience for farmers, ranchers and meat brands that are scaling their production and sales with the intent to reach multi-million dollar goals while producing high-quality local and regional meat products.

This immersive online small-group business accelerator is designed to help producers solve the most challenging problems when scaling their meat business. The curriculum offers high-touch, comprehensive experiential classes focused on organizing financial recordkeeping systems that help deepen knowledge, improve profit potential and understand demand forecasting. This course also gives participants step-by-step instruction on how to “level up” marketing and branding initiatives that connect with target customers, connect marketing initiatives to sales and build a brand that resonates with diverse consumers in multiple sales channels. Another integral feature of this program is that each participant will be paired with their own business coach and marketing coach for 10 hours of one-on-one consulting.

“If you have outgrown the farmers’ market and other local sales channels and want to get into wholesale, retail, and other larger markets with your meat brand, you will not find a better space to learn from other similarly sized operations as well as industry experts on how to scale without fail.” said Rebecca Thistlethwaite, director of NMPAN.

Spaces are limited, and a maximum of 20 similarly sized producers will be accepted to the program. The program encourages a diverse pool of applications from all over the country. The deadline to apply is February 2, 2024, with classes beginning in early March. Partial scholarships are reserved for BIPOC, tribal and socially disadvantaged operators. Read more here.

Sources: NMPAN; Good Meat Project; Kitchen Table Consultants