Small Meat Processing Management Training Program

Meat manager program participants in the UNL meat lab.

Single-Day Roundtables - Fall 2026

This fall, the program is planning to host a series of single-day roundtable workshops at various locations to be determined. They will cover some essential topics from the program, like:

Human Resources (Legal, Hiring, Retention)
Pricing and Plant Economics
Processed Meats Practices
Fresh Meats Practices

Check back soon for details. Sign up here to be notified when more information is available and we'll reach out!

Get Notified About Roundtables

Next Full Program: Spring 2027 in Lincoln, Nebraska

Program Overview

Nebraska Extension's Meat Processing Management Training program is for owners, managers, and management-track employees of small meat processing plants across the U.S.

The next program is centered around a weeklong in-person experience, to be held in Lincoln in March 2027, to guide participants in working to ensure a successful and profitable future through understanding their business and future goals while developing a continuous improvement mindset. The program aims to help managers build their knowledge of the industry, their employees, financial management, and more.

Custom exempt, state-inspected, and federally inspected plants from across the U.S. are encouraged to apply. Up to two people per plant will be accepted.

The program is conducted by UNL's Center for Agricultural Profitability and Department of Animal Science, in collaboration with the College of Business at Nebraska and the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

More infromation about the next cohort will be available by early 2027 on this page.

Questions?

Contact:

Dr. Elliott Dennis
Associate Professor, Livestock Marketing Specialist
elliott.dennis@unl.edu
402-472-2164

Dr. Gary Sullivan
Professor, Meat Science
gary.sullivan@unl.edu
402-472-6430

Dr. Jordan Wicks
Assistant Professor, Meat Science Specialist
jwicks4@unl.edu
402-474-0537

Program Application

The next program is expected to be held in Spring 2027. Check back in early January for the application. In the meantime, sign up to be notified about single-day roundtable workshops from the program, to be held in Fall 2026.

Please carefully read the information on this page to ensure you are aware of what the program entails, its costs, and expenses that are covered and not covered as part of the program fee.

The application window is currently closed.

Hear from Past Participants

Curious about what to expect from the program? Learn from past participants about their experience in the program in these videos.

Video

Hear from participants in the 2024 Small Meat Processor Management Training Program