Search | Menu Motivated students get tuition-free education in Madison College Artisanal Butchery Program
It's an adventurous year for Madison College student Robert Moreland, who is visiting local farms to learn how pigs are processed for meat.
The North Carolina native moved to Wisconsin, attracted by the free tuition offered by the college’s renowned two-year Artisanal Modern Meat Butchery program, which teaches exceptional butchery skills—an art that fascinates him.
“I grew up hunting with my stepfather, and we would process deer in our garage. That is where my passion started,” Moreland says. “Madison College’s program aligns perfectly with what I wanted to learn: the farm-to-table process, the importance of meat quality and its origins, and fostering that essential farmer-butcher relationship.”
It is a tradition that has seen a revival recently. Like many industries, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the fragility of the meat processing industry. Large meat production plants shut down due to employee shortages, and the dwindling number of small butcher shops did not have enough resources to fill the gaps.
That fueled Wisconsin lawmakers to offer incentives to boost the industry. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers slated $5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for meat talent development programming and financial support for students like Moreland to enroll in Wisconsin Technical College System programs until 2026. Students who complete the 24-credit program with a C or better grade walk away with a debt-free education, a $5,500 value.
Cutting-edge skills
Madison College instructor Paul Short, aka Chef Paul, walks into a stainless-steel kitchen on the Truax campus, delighted to see students cleaning in preparation for class—butchering a pig.
Students gather around the table to listen to the instructions. Some are right out of high school, while others are flexing their muscles in a new career.
“I’ve never seen a group of more motivated students, you can tell they want to do very well,” Short observes. “They come from all walks of life, some want to open their own businesses. They all have that work ethic, they just do it, get it done, and bring success. Students in the program are learning and experiencing an understanding of what it takes to have great quality meat.”
Pasture to Plate learning
Consumer demand has also driven trends within the industry. “The number one question people ask is where their meat comes from, who raises the animals, and how they are harvested, especially in Madison and among local restaurants,” Short says. “While it’s easy for some to bury their heads in the sand and think meat comes from plastic-wrapped Styrofoam packages, we aim to provide consumers with an artisanal experience and the opportunity to enjoy high-quality meat.”
The one-year technical program developed by Short, modeled by the state’s other technical colleges, is an intensive education about an animal’s lifecycle on a farm, experience in state-of-the-art culinary and meat production facilities, designing menus, and preparing and packaging meat for sale.
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Moreland says the instructors elevate the education.
“Chef Paul is amazing to work with and has a wealth of knowledge, culinary background, and experience on his farm. Instructor Ron Russell also brings so much experience to the table. They both know what they are doing,” Moreland says. “It means a lot to me to be in a community with people who do this every day.”
The program continues to evolve to train butchers. Next fall, students will take out a new $200,000 mobile meat processing truck to service local farmers. With the success of sold-out meat sales at the Truax retail store, Short aims to sell products in grocery stores and other outlets.
Since 2020, more than 30 students have successfully graduated from Madison College’s Artisanal Butchery Program. Some joined the ranks of the regional butcher shops, Madison-based Conscious Carnivore and Lodi Sausage Company, or set up shops themselves: something Moreland inspires to do.
“I plan to open a shop to help small farmers and hunters, and even have a mobile harvest processing operations,” Moreland says, “I’m not sure how I’m going to do it, but I'm also taking business classes to make that happen someday. It is so essential to have good butchers doing quality work because we are losing more of the small processors each year, the four big processors can do good work, but smaller processors create a more resilient supply chain."
As he looks forward to returning to classes in January and completing his first year, Moreland has found his passion in this field and speaks to the program’s appeal: “For anyone interested in understanding how food reaches the table, this is the program for them. It is a trade that will endure. For those who enjoy working with their hands and have a knack for following instructions and attention to detail, it's an excellent alternative.”
Learn more about Madison College's Artisanal Modern Meat Butchery technical degree program.
