RANDOLPH CENTER, Vt. (WCAX) – Construction is underway on a new meat processing facility at Vermont State University’s Randolph campus.
As sharp knives cut through big slabs of beef, construction moved forward on a new butchery that is an expansion of Vermont State University’s Center for Agriculture and Food Entrepreneurship.
“This facility is a pillar of our future trainings and our future degree program. What we are really trying to do is stand up something that is innovative and distinctive but that capitalizes on the needs we see in the state and the region,” said Glenn Evans, the center’s executive director.
While Vermont has dozens of slaughterhouses and meat processing plants, it currently does not have one on a college campus to train the next generation of butchers. The state-of-the-art campus facility will include saws, smokers, packaging, and sterilization equipment. And it’s not just about the meat that ends up in the supermarket aisle or those who want to make a career out of it.
“We know that a lot of Vermonters like to hunt. We are looking at processing deer, showing them what they can do with the entire carcass,” said facility director DeMetris Reed, Jr.
But workforce development, in a variety of different industries, is part of the mission behind the new million-dollar butchery. “Our slaughterhouse, it will serve retail operations, it will serve our farmers so they can come here, learn that skill, so they can turn around and produce a high-quality product for our consumers,” said Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts.
The center currently only offers certificate courses. The meat processing facility will eventually lead to a two-year degree. “The whole meat industry is one where every step in the process is in that work. There are workforce needs from butchers to instructors,” said Vermont State University President David Bergh.
Pending approval from the State University system, associate degree classes should begin being offered on campus in the fall of 2026.
