Dec 05, 2024
By Rick McNary
The Border Queen Harvest Hub (BQHH) Lunch and Learn is Tuesday, Dec. 10 at noon in the Upstairs at KanOkla, 21 North Main, in Caldwell. It is a bring-your-own brown bag luncheon.
Troy Leith of Midwest Meats in Abilene will talk about his mobile meat processing unit.
“It’s exciting to have an entrepreneur like Troy on the other end of the Chisolm Trail bring his knowledge and enthusiasm to a new way of processing meat,” says Jill Kuehny, CEO of KanOkla. “Since the Border Queen Harvest Hub is focused on connecting all three parts of a local food system with production, processing and distribution, it’s fitting that we showcase this new alternative to the processing component. Furthermore, since the history of the Chisolm Trail is about how important the cities of Caldwell and Abilene were in establishing the cattle industry in Kansas, it’s fascinating to think more than 150 years later, both of our towns are still a vital part of the beef industry in cutting-edge technology.”
“We have discovered many producers who want to sell directly to consumers are challenged with finding meat processors,” says Kylee Stout, Business Development Director for Shop Kansas Farms. “Some are booked up while others are too far away to efficiently use. We’ve learned that this on-site, mobile processing method is of particular interest with those who raise bison since they are more difficult to transport than beef.”
The Border Queen Harvest Hub has had great success with previous Town Halls and has decided to go with noontime BQHH Lunch and Learns during the winter months. Upcoming meetings include:
- Oxford BQHH Lunch and Learn: Kelsey Wendling, Kansas Agritourism Manager, Jan. 20 at noon, at Oxford Lions Club center, 116 N. Sumner Avenue.
- Anthony BQHH Lunch and Learn: Rick McNary, Shop Kansas Farms and Jennifer Carr, Harper County Extension, Monday, Feb. 10 at noon, Patterson Health Center, 485 North Kansas Highway 2.