Brightwater receives grant to develop butchery program
by July 11, 2023 8:26 am 982 views
NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville has received a $650,000 grant from the USDA to develop a new butchery program at its Brightwater culinary school.
According to a news release, the program will offer an Artisanal Butchery Certificate and teach students the technical skills and business knowledge needed to run an artisanal butcher shop.
“Our butchery program is truly groundbreaking for our region,” Brightwater executive director Marshall Shafkowitz said in the release. “We are committed to delivering an intensive and immersive curriculum, enriched by the involvement of community leaders who possess a deep passion and expertise in the field of butchery.”
The program will be offered in the fall of 2024.
Students will produce charcuterie items and gain practical experience by staffing and managing a retail butcher shop at Bentonville’s 8th Street Market.
According to the release, program graduates will be “well-positioned” for a variety of roles, including retail butchers, meat cutters, artisanal deli specialists, restaurant butchers and entrepreneurs.
The goal of the program is to build a more resilient food system that benefits producers, consumers and rural communities.