Meat Marketing Mastery

Free Marketing Training & Technical Assistance for Livestock Producers

Selling meat directly to consumers has never offered more opportunity—but it has also never been more competitive.

Whether you're selling freezer beef, individual cuts, pork, lamb, poultry, or other livestock products, success depends on much more than raising great animals. Pricing your products correctly, attracting new customers, building an online presence, and creating repeat buyers are all critical to building a profitable business.

That's why ChopLocal is excited to offer Meat Marketing Mastery, a free educational program funded by the North Central Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) Center through the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Our goal is simple:

Help livestock producers reduce marketing and pricing risk while increasing sales, confidence, and long-term profitability.

What You'll Learn

Participants will receive practical, real-world education designed specifically for farms selling meat directly to consumers.

Educational topics include:

Pricing meat products for profitability
Building profitable bundles
Choosing the right e-commerce platform
Marketing fundamentals for meat businesses
Websites and search engine optimization (SEO)
Social media marketing
Email marketing
Google Business Profile
Online advertising
Agritourism and on-farm events
Customer retention and repeat sales

Rather than focusing on theory, every webinar is designed to help you take action in your own business.

Free One-on-One Coaching

Need help applying what you've learned?

Eligible participants can receive individualized coaching from experienced direct-to-consumer meat marketing professionals.

Technical assistance may include guidance on:

Marketing strategy
Website improvements
Online sales
Pricing
Promotions
Customer acquisition
Business growth opportunities

The goal is to help producers move from learning to implementation.

Apply for One-on-One Coaching

Join the Community

Marketing can feel overwhelming—but you don't have to figure it out alone. Or know it all it at one time? Continuous improvement?

Participants are invited to join our private Facebook community where producers can:

Ask questions
Share ideas
Learn from one another
Celebrate successes
Stay informed about upcoming trainings and resources

Peer learning is one of the most valuable parts of the project, giving producers the opportunity to connect with others facing similar challenges.

Join the Facebook Community

Who Should Participate?

This program is designed for livestock producers who sell—or want to sell—meat directly to consumers, including:

Beef producers
Pork producers
Lamb producers
Goat producers
Poultry producers
Multi-species livestock farms

Whether you're just getting started or looking to grow an established direct-to-consumer business, this program was created for you.

For Agricultural Organizations

We believe producers are best served when organizations work together.

If your organization serves livestock producers, we'd love your help connecting farmers with these free educational opportunities.

Organizations can partner by:

Sharing webinars with members
Promoting coaching opportunities
Encouraging participation in the Facebook community
Sharing project resources
Helping identify producers who could benefit from marketing education

Our current collaborators include Practical Farmers of Iowa, Cornell University, and experienced direct-market farmers who bring practical expertise in pricing, marketing, and agritourism.

Partner with Meat Marketing Mastery

About the Project

Meat Marketing Mastery is funded through the North Central Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) Center. The project focuses on helping livestock producers better manage marketing and price risk by improving their marketing knowledge, implementing effective marketing strategies, and increasing profitability through stronger direct-to-consumer sales. Project activities include webinars, one-on-one coaching, practical tools, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.