Struggling with Slaughterhouse Access? Survey for NYS Livestock Farmers

July 20, 2020/Erica Frenay

If you raise animals for meat in New York State, you are no stranger to the complicated logistics and roadblocks that exist in getting animals to slaughter. For many producers, the COVID-19 pandemic has made access even more difficult.

We are collecting information to communicate with policy-makers the scope of the problem from farmers’ perspectives — both pre-COVID-19 and during this pandemic — and to help determine possible solutions. To do this, we are asking NYS livestock farmers to take a survey. This survey focuses on the species you send to processing, and the facilities that you use for those species.

Take the Survey Now

This survey takes only about 5 minutes to complete, and your input is extremely valuable to us.

All responses will be kept strictly anonymous, and any information shared from the survey will be averaged across responses. If you choose to share contact information or other details that could identify you or your farm, these will never be shared publicly with anyone without your express consent.

Please respond by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, July 27.

Many thanks to the members of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Livestock Program Work Team who provided helpful feedback on the survey.

Erica Frenay

Erica has had several different roles with the Small Farms Program since she began working there in 2005. In 2006 she co-founded the Northeast Beginning Farmer Project, and launched the first online course in 2007. For 10 years she facilitated and organized the Beginning Farmer Learning Network, a professional development network for service providers in the Northeast who support beginning farmers. She has shepherded the development, publishing, and updating of several key SFP publications, like the Guide to Farming in NYS, the On-Farm Poultry Processing Guide, and the Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry. As the SFP’s menu of online courses surpassed 20, she shifted her role primarily to managing these courses, providing ongoing training to instructors, and ensuring a high quality experience for students.
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