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Meat processing demand builds education and business opportunities in rural Minnesota

Parker Witulski, who grew up around agriculture in southeast Nebraska, pursued a career in meat processing by enrolling in a newly enhanced, hands-on 16-week program offered in spring 2025 by Central Lakes College located in Minnesota’s city of Staples.
The industry’s consolidation over six decades and pandemic-driven worker shortages increased the need for local meat processing training and new facilities in rural Minnesota.
Central Lakes College added two meat processing modules for start-to-finish student experience while Minnesota Farmers Union plans a $4.79 million USDA-certified facility near the college, expected by January 2026.
Funding for the facility includes $600,000 from USDA, $100,000 from Minnesota Department of Agriculture, $2.93 million from Economic Development Administration, plus Minnesota Farmers Union support.
This growth highlights ongoing demand for meat processing capacity, skilled workforce, and affordable access for farmers, supported by education, facility expansion, and financial loan programs.

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Brainerd Dispatch

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Meat processing demand builds education and business opportunities in rural Minnesota

STAPLES, Minn. — Parker Witulski grew up in agriculture in southeast Nebraska and wanted to find a way to stay in agriculture in his career path. When he turned 16, he landed a job at a local meat locker and determined that meat processing was his path forward. He looked throughout the Midwest for meat processing training and found few options. Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minnesota, was on his short list. That college offers a hybrid model of…

4 days ago·Brainerd, United States

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