Ryley Rehnelt, UWRF Meat Plant manager, right, explains production to state officials, UWRF Chancellor Maria Gallo and others Wednesday as part of a statewide tour following Gov. Tony Evers’ 2023 State of the State address. Pictured (left to right) are Randy Romanski, secretary, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP); Missy Hughes, secretary and chief executive officer, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; and Elmer Moore, Jr., chief executive officer, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. 

 

UW-River Falls Humane Handling Institute effort lauded by state officials

 

Program will help boost Wisconsin’s meat processing capacity

 

Jan. 26, 2023 – A first-of-its-kind project at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to train meat industry workers to treat animals more humanely as part of the slaughtering process will play a vital role in expanding and upgrading Wisconsin’s meat-processing sector, state officials said Wednesday during a visit to campus. 

The university’s Humane Handling Institute, announced in October by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), is providing hands-on training for students looking to work in the meat industry. The institute is expected to help boost Wisconsin’s meat processing capability after meat supply chain issues occurred during the coronavirus pandemic.  

The institute, a partnership between UW-River Falls and DATCP, is funded by Gov. Tony Evers’ $5 million Meat Talent Development Program. Participants learn about humane pre-slaughter handling, transportation, stunning livestock, and proper equipment maintenance. 

The Humane Handling Institute “is an example of how a little bit of funding, with some great thought and collaboration, can go a long way,” DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski said during a tour of the university’s meat processing facility.  

In addition to Romanski, the event was attended by Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and Elmer Moore, Jr., executive director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, university officials, and others. The stop at UW-River Falls was part of a statewide tour by the group following Evers’ State of the State address Tuesday.  

Kurt Vogel, an associate professor in the university’s Animal and Food Science Department who leads the Humane Handling Institute effort, said the program will improve animal slaughter procedures while bettering meat processing safety practices and boosting consumer confidence. A growing number of people are concerned about how animals are treated as part of processing, he said.  

“My goal is to get to a point where we don't have the humane handling enforcement actions because handling animals that way has become the standard," Vogel said.  

Evers has made multiple investments to expand meat processing in Wisconsin, using coronavirus relief dollars to do so. Among them is a partnership announced in September between UWRF and DATCP to develop a high school meat science curriculum to create awareness of career opportunities in the meat industry, an effort to attract students.  

Vogel said meat science curriculum plans are proceeding and that 12 schools will participate in an upcoming pilot project to further develop the effort.  

UWRF Chancellor Maria Gallo praised state funding for initiatives like the Humane Handling Institute and DATCP for its partnering with the university on other projects including the Dairy Innovation Hub and the soon-to-be-completed Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence.  

The Humane Handling Institute “will be one more example of how UWRF combines education, research and innovation to contribute to statewide economic development,” Gallo said.