Educational Opportunities and Webinars

Online Meat Marketing Webinar Series (Fall 2023)
Educational Webinars about Selling Meat Online
Recording: Mastering SEO & Google Business for your D2C Meat Company
Tuesday, September 12th: 8 PM EST/7 PM CST
Discover how to stay at the top of Google search results by using proven SEO strategies and an effective Google Business profile. In this webinar, we will cover why SEO is important, what factors influence search engine rankings and how to utilize strategic keywords. Don’t miss this opportunity to increase your online visibility as a direct-to-consumer meat business! Watch the recording here.
Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) Webinar
Thursday, September 14th: 3 PM EST/2 PM CST
ChopLocal and Stewards Unlimited will be hosting a free webinar to help meat and poultry processing businesses learn more about USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). MPEPP is designed to provide grants to help eligible processors expand their processing capacity, which creates new, better and more processing options for meat and poultry producers. Stephen Ussery, founder of Stewards Unlimited, an agricultural grant writing service, will talk about the program requirements and provide tips for writing successful grant applications. Watch the recording here.
Creating & Marketing Irresistible Holiday Gift Boxes
Tuesday, October 3rd: 8 PM EST/7 PM CST
The holiday season will be here before we know it, and now is the perfect time to start planning. Join our seasoned panel of guests as they share about what products to include, what price point to shoot for, and how to collaborate with other local businesses. This webinar will be sure to spark creativity as you curate the perfect gift for your customers this holiday season. Register for the webinar here.
Is E-Commerce Right for You?
Tuesday, November 7th: 8 PM EST/7 PM CST
Direct-to-consumer farmers moving into e-commerce face new challenges, including technology considerations, digital marketing, and order fulfillment. ChopLocal has worked with dozens of farms across the country direct-marketing meat online, and will share the keys to success. This webinar will cover tips for improving the e-commerce experience for customers, order fulfillment, marketing techniques and more. Register for the webinar here.
Elevate Your D2C Meat Business with Canva
Tuesday, December 5th: 8 PM EST/7 PM CST
You don’t have to be a graphic designer to create high-quality marketing materials for your direct-to-consumer meat business! In this ChopLocal webinar, learn simple tricks to improve your design and workflow. We will cover how to use the brand kit to level up and streamline your designs, how to create templates that can be used for multiple purposes and other basic graphic design tips and tricks. This webinar will provide you with the fundamental skills you need to elevate your brand. Register for the webinar here.

AURI Webinar:
Transitioning a Meat Business Short Course
When: September 28, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CDT
Online Registration Here
The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) is proud to present a short course for local and regional meat and poultry processors focused on transitioning a meat business.
Throughout the webinar, you’ll learn:
- Best practices including key considerations for transferring ownership to new owners, legal and financial issues, finding the right buyer and creating a transition plan to ensure the business you created continues to thrive
- Insights from a panel of meat and poultry processor peers who will share their experiences transitioning a business, and address opportunities and challenges of navigating the transfer of ownership.
This short course is designed specifically for very small to small meat and poultry processing business owners who are considering selling or transitioning their business in the near future. Whether you’re looking to sell to a family member, employee or outside buyer, you’ll leave this session with valuable insights and strategies to assist in making the process as smooth and effective as possible.

AURI Webinar:
Short-Term and Long-Term Strategies for Hide and Byproduct Utilization
When: October 26, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CDT
Online Registration Here
The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) is proud to present a short course for local and regional meat and poultry processing sectors focused on short-term and long-term strategies for hide and byproduct utilization.
Short-Term and Long-Term Strategies for Hide and Byproduct Utilization
AURI is sponsoring an upcoming short course webinar on cost-effective strategies for reducing costs and adding value to hides and other byproducts of animal harvest and meat processing. The event will feature a review of both emerging and commercially-viable technologies, with a special emphasis on low-cost methods for reducing volumes of waste at very small and small-scale meat and poultry processing facilities and the potential for adding value to these materials.