Fee:

$1,000 per participant*, includes lunch and morning refreshments.

*Most establishments in Wisconsin qualify for free tuition through a grant from the Wisconsin Meat Talent Development Program. Participants not eligible for the tuition grant are still welcome to register and attend the workshops. Establishments will be invoiced upon completion.

Location:

UWRF Campus, specific information for each session will be shared with participants ahead of time.

Cancellation/withdrawal:  Registrant can send a qualified substitute. Up to 10 calendar days prior to the start date, registrant can transfer to a different date, or cancel without penalty, cancellations received fewer than 10 days before the start of their workshop will be invoiced $50 to cover meals and administrative expenses.

Tuition reimbursement will be offered for 120 trainees from small and very small slaughter establishment who enroll in:

• Effective and Humane Restraint and Stunning
• Building a Robust Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare

Training will address critical regulatory challenges for plants of that size category. A maximum of two employees per establishment will be granted tuition reimbursement, but any current or aspiring staff may enroll in any of the five workshops.

The UW-River Falls Animal Welfare Lab has been tracking humane handling enforcement actions by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) since 2014. They have consistently identified pre-slaughter stunning as a critical area of need for additional training and development. This led directly to the formation of HHI with support from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's Meat Talent Development Program.

The program will provide as much hands-on experience as possible for trainees. Content will accommodate personnel associated with slaughter establishments of all sizes. 

Potential trainees include barn supervisors and management personnel, livestock handlers, stunner operators, maintenance personnel, transporters, livestock market employees and managers, and regulatory and inspection personnel.

UW-River Falls is located 40 miles from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.  The closest hotel to campus is the Radisson Hotel River Falls. Accommodations are not included in the registration and should be made separately. 

The City of River Falls is a thriving and growing community located east of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in northwestern Wisconsin. With a population of 16,183 residents and 5,862 college students, the City offers 26 parks, miles of hiking and biking trails along the Kinnikinnic River, and a vibrant downtown. There are restaurants, shops, grocery stores, and gas stations located a safe and walkable distance from campus. 

If you require additional assistance or have questions regarding your registration, please email:
hhi@uwrf.edu

Topics will include:

Animal Welfare and Handling from Farm through Transport

Livestock Receiving and Lairage

Stunning Equipment Operation and Maintenance

Trainees have the option of selecting the workshops that fit their needs or completing the entire series of workshops and an additional project for comprehensive certification. Trainees that complete the series and project will receive a certificate in humane handling and stunning and the limited rights to utilize the program logo in marketing and promotional materials.

One-day-long refresher training workshops will also be developed to accompany each of the workshops.