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A mix of clouds and sun. High 51F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Snow may mix in. Low 36F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.

REYNOLDSVILLE — Plans for the new “Farm to Refrigerator” training program at Jeff Tech (Jefferson County Vocational Technical School) have finally been set in motion after receiving a $1,125,000 grant from the federal government.

This news was announced during the 2022-23 budget presentation at Monday evening’s Jeff Tech meeting.

Adult Education Coordinator Megan Bundy said these funds will go toward the construction of a facility for a Farm to Refrigerator training program at Jeff Tech. The idea for this program came about during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed what many thought was a “meat shortage.”

“However, we learned there was absolutely no shortage of meat products available in our region,” she said. “It was a shortage of skilled meat processing manpower.”

One of Jeff Tech’s main missions, said Administrative Director Barry Fillman, has always been to pay attention to the needs of the local workforce.

“A study conducted by Penn State showed that $33 million of beef is purchased annually within a 50-mile radius of the Jefferson County Courthouse,” noted Bundy.

Ultimately, the vision for this training program is to “close the gap in the local meat supply chain” by implementing a meat-cutter training program at Jeff Tech for high school and adult students, Bundy explained. Stakeholders have worked to demonstrate the local need, as well as that butchers/meat cutters are an in-demand, high-paying and underserved occupation in the region, declared by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

In early 2021, the hangup in terms of the program moving forward was waiting on funding.

On March 29, 2021, Congressman Glenn Thompson visited Jeff Tech, where Bundy and Fillman presented him with the vision of implementing a meat cutting program. Thompson was extremely responsive to the idea. The grant application for Farm to Refrigerator was then recommended by Thompson, accepted by the Appropriations Committee, and included in the 2022 fiscal-year appropriations bill.

Since the program’s inception, a group of stakeholders has been formed in Clearfield, Jefferson and Elk counties, including sole proprietors, family-owned/operated meat markets, grocery stores, farmers, county commissioners, Bundy and Fillman, she presented.

Program heads have met with representatives from Sen. Bob Casey’s office, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, the United States Department of Agriculture and North Central Planning Commission, according to Bundy’s presentation.

Farmers would raise more beef, too, if they thought they could get it cut somewhere closer, Fillman added.

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