What is WA MEAT UP all about?
It’s about
ALL of us
Farmers - Ranchers - Butchers - Jerky Makers - Restaurateurs - Grocers - Market Managers - Regulator - Policy Maker - 4H Members - FFA Members - Researchers - Extension Specialists - Engaged Eaters - Composters - Haulers - Conservationists - Land Owners - AND YOU!
WA Meat Up is a community of people, just like you, who care about sustaining a thriving local meat industry in Washington.
It’s about
inspiring CHANGE,
building RESILIENCE,
fostering farm and food business VIABILITY ,
promoting an accessible PROCESSING and
DISTRIBUITION system for all regions of WA.
It’s about
COLLABORATION & NETWORKING
Shape where we are growing…
It started with WSDA Regional Markets and WSU Food Systems
MEAT the Team
-
![]()
Laura Raymond
-
![]()
Paul Kuber
-
![]()
Sarah Lemon
-
![]()
Sarah Smith
-
![]()
Gordon Murdoch
-
![]()
Patrice Barrentine
-
![]()
Hannah Brause
It all started when…
The WA MEAT UP initiative was launched with a Leadership Summit held at the Seattle Culinary Academy on August 26th, 2019. Over 75 attendees had a choice of field trips in surrounding areas focused on: On-farm livestock infrastructure and wrap/pack at Jubilee Farm, Carnation Farms, and Falling River Meats, OR a peak into the processing and value-added sausage and cured meats industry with Uli’s Famous Sausage and Salumi Seattle.
Field trips were followed by the Leadership Summit which began with a locally sourced lunch, complete with lamb kabobs from BCS Livestock. A "State of the State" presentation featured speakers from the Methow Conservancy, Bright Ide Acres, Falling River Meats, Restaurant Bateau, King County Agriculture, and Salumi. All Leadership Summit participants then worked together in an active community process where ideas and realities were shared by producers, processors, restaurateurs and retailers, resource providers, as well as policy and decision makers. The whole day was capped off by an informal networking happy hour at Optimism Brewing.
