LIVINGSTON — Five students from Joliet are learning more about meat processing this fall with the help of a Montana nonprofit called The Producer Partnership.
Every Wednesday, the students are bused from Joliet to the meat processing plant, which is located about 16 miles east of Livingston, and given an opportunity to test their hand at the trade.
Watch this video to see the process for yourself:
Joliet Senior Gavin Thompson said it's been interesting to learn more about meat processing.
"I think it's a good skill. I hunt enough that it's helping me with that as well," Thompson said during his lunch break on a recent Wednesday. "I'm super appreciative. This has been a great opportunity to learn, and I'm excited about what I can learn."
Fellow Senior Kasen Krook agreed that it's something he and his peers will benefit from learning.
“I feel like it can help me a lot through life," Krook said. "It could be a life skill."
Krook and Thompson are among the first five Montana students to ever be involved in such a project at The Producer Partnership, though owner Matt Pierson said that he's always wanted to add the education piece to what they do.
"The more skills you have as you get older, the better off you will be," Pierson said. "You know, teach people the art. Let them understand what it takes and how their food is produced."
Since the nonprofit was formed, Pierson has helped local ranchers donate their own beef to Montana school lunch programs. That's how Pierson first met Joliet Superintendent Clark Begger and had a chance to explain his ultimate goal of educating students.
"He had talked about bringing some students up here to work with them and teach them some skills," Begger said.
Begger immediately began working to make Pierson's dream become reality.
“There’s a shortage of that beef and cattle processing,” Begger said. "So getting students the chance to learn about this stuff early, it's great for them. All the exposure to help them when they walk out of Joliet schools that they're on a path."
Pierson said the nonprofit's first-ever work study program has been everything he imagined and more.
“To be able to get a small school like Joliet to be that excited to have that many students, really to be able to show up once a week is huge for us,” Pierson said.
Thompson said he understands the gravity of what he and his peers are learning, with meat processing being one of Montana's oldest trades.
"It's definitely impactful," Thompson said. "I mean, there’s definitely some things here where I was like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know where that came from.' I think it's a great program and it's definitely something I'd encourage people to do if they get the chance."
It's that understanding that Pierson had always envisioned, hoping that more schools will want to get involved.
"We would love to do this every day," Pierson said. "I mean, any school that wants to be a part of it, we would enjoy it."
And regardless of whether the students end up working in the meat processing industry, it's an opportunity they aren't taking for granted.
“Anybody can do it," Krook said. "It’s pretty simple. You just gotta learn it."
