JONESBORO — Arkansas State University has completed a $750,000 renovation of its meat lab, funded through a grant from the state Office of Skills Development. A dedication ceremony to mark the upgrades is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Judd Hill Farmers’ Market, followed by a tour of the facility in room 131 of the College of Agriculture.
“We will have key speakers regarding the Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry (AHFH) snack stick program and their partnership with A-State,” said Corey Readnour, director of the meat lab. The lab has collaborated with AHFH for three years to produce snack sticks distributed statewide for weekend backpack food programs. Currently, the program supplies 70 schools across 48 Arkansas counties, providing nutritional support to children.
The renovated lab's enhanced equipment will streamline snack stick production, allowing the lab to meet increasing demand while providing practical training for agriculture students. Among the new acquisitions are a roll stock vacuum packaging machine, snack stick cutting machine, vacuum stuffer, meat grinder, and meat mixer. The funding also covered the installation of a new roof and upgraded refrigeration systems.
“These upgrades were to implement a high-speed snack stick line and train students on updated, state-of-the-art equipment that you would find in a commercial operation,” Readnour explained. He noted that students gain valuable experience in meat processing and packaging, preparing them for careers in the food production industry.
Since fall 2023, the lab has worked on developing snack stick products as it awaited the arrival of new equipment. With the installation now complete, the lab is positioned to launch large-scale production. “We have been working on fine-tuning the process and product development, and now we are ready to expand operations,” said Readnour.
In addition to its educational benefits, the upgraded lab broadens A-State's capacity to support AHFH’s mission of addressing food insecurity. By enhancing production efficiency, the program aims to reach more children statewide.