Training the next generation of butchers through Certification: Muscolo Meat Academy
ABOUT
Muscolo Means Muscle! Crafting Tomorrow's Butchers.
Our Project
Please join us in cultivating the next generation of artisan butchers through our new school Muscolo Meat Academy. Opening September 2015, with your support we will train and certify 15 students through our intensive, hands-on 9-month program in Chicago, IL.
Our goal is $30,000. Your donation will go to expanding the inaugural class and graduating a group of passionate and skilled butchers!
Who are we?
We are Muscolo Meat Academy and we were born from the need to elevate the time-honored trade of butchery. Our one-of-a-kind Academy is bringing Certification back to the trade by granting Certificates for our inaugural year in butchery, meat merchandising, meat cutting, and charcuterie.
Each Certificate program is 12-weeks in length. Students can enroll in one program or advance through all three and graduate as a Certified Muscolo. The hands-on curriculum will provide skills, knowledge and experience -- necessary for a career in butchery.
The historic path through apprenticeship is nearly impossible to experience today. There is a resurgence of interest in meat cutting, whole animal butchery, and charcuterie, but without educational opportunities, future butchers are not prepared to be successful in the workforce.
We call it Rail-to-Retail. Everything that happens from the time a carcass enters our food system, until it is sold to a consumer, cooked, and put on a plate will be covered within the walls of the Academy. Muscolo Meat Academy Certification truly prepares graduates to enter into the business of butchery.
Profile of a Student
Our students come from all walks of life, all parts of the country, with varied skill levels. But each will enter the doors of the Academy with two things in common:
A passion to master meat cutting, preparation, merchandising and the artistry of the butchery trade.
A need for affordable hands-on training. This is where you can make a difference!
As with any new school, for at least two years students are unable to benefit from federally funded tuition assistance programs. We are actively working to fulfill the federal requirements. But frankly, starting a career in debt is not how we want any Muscolo student to enter the workforce.
Together we can fill our inaugural class, and help more students realize their vision and build a career in the meat industry.
Goals
We aim to be "the premier Certification for students who want to master meat cutting, preparation, merchandising and the artistry of the time-honored butchery trade".
The cost of this undertaking is very real – especially this inaugural year. To open the doors and fulfill our hands-on curriculum, with modern equipment, and experienced faculty means a cost per student averaging $9,000 per 12-week program.
Your donations will go directly to lowering the cost of tuition for students who want to participate in our inaugural class. The more we can help offset the cost per student, the more students will be able to experience this training, gain certification, and enter the workforce.
And from there...we GROW!
Budget
$27,000 is the total cost to provide 9-months of intensive hands-on curriculum to one student.
1800 lbs. of meat per student - including whole animal cows, pigs and lambs
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Modern equipment for cutting, curing, aging and cooking
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World-class instructors working 1 on 1 with students
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HACCP Certification
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One Certified Muscolo entering the workforce fully trained and ready to put quality butchered meat on your plate.
Stretch goals:
Your donations will allow us to open our doors in September with a full classroom of passionate students working with the tools, equipment, staff AND meat we need to make the school and the students successful. The more we raise the more students will be able to enroll, and graduate Certified Muscolo!
Every dollar we raise, will offset the cost to certify the inaugural class.
Hello Everyone. Thank for for allowing me to post to your group!
I grew up in the meat business - I have done everything from cleaning up the meat room, to cleaning rotten chicken pans and my favorite cleaning chitterlings! I was exposed to it first by my Grandmother(Harriet) and Grandfather(Bud) (but of course I was not around) through family stories a about Cavendar's Market. My grandmother eventually moved to Florida where she and her husband started a cattle ranch in Vernon, Florida. I have found memories of that place. My grandmother on the dad's side was exposed to butchery on the farm, as she used to say, "Back then that's just what you had to do" Ask my dad what happened to his pet rabbit Bartholomew? My dad became a Journeyman Meat Cutter in the early 1960's, he eventually worked at Thrifty Mart in South Bend, opened his own store called "Underly's Market" in the late 1970's and evenly retired as a meat cutter from Martin's Super Market in South Bend. My mom is a merchant and an artist, I guess that's why I look at whole carcass as sculpting.
The craft of butcher is in my DNA, and I a passionate about creating a trades school. I am asking for your donation. The monies raised will go directly to lowering tuition. The first 15 students will be capped the first year so our students will receive plenty of hand-on instruction and support by our staff. Also they will provide us valuable feedback on our curriculum and be flexible as we develop this new program together. (proof of concept) I know there are other program out there and I am truly excited about our offering.
So, here’s the deal? It take two year of us to be certified as an accredited school - which means our students do not have access to the GI bill, federal loans or grants to fund their education. So if you would like to see a butchery trade school in Chicago succeed we need your help!
Please take a look and share with you peers if you feel the spirit move you! And THANK YOU LEON!!!
Has anyone ever sold a Flat Iron Steak? Did you know that I as part of the beef checkoff team that helped implement the cut into the market place. When they asked me if I had ever heard of such a cut, I laughed. I am a "BK" butchers kid are you crazy I grew up to top blade steaks - the good ones- that is. So we developed videos, training materials and gave many demonstrations to show the "new" cut.
Do you like the Flat Iron Steak? Considering sponsoring our Barn Raiser Campaign. This crowding funding effort is simple - you pledge money ($10) - if we raise our goal we collect the funds to lower the cost of tuition. We all know how expensive meat is!
I know many on you are working today , thanks for making everyone's weekend a memorial one with your meaty treats.
All my best,
Kari
https://www.barnraiser.us/projects/help-enroll-tomorrow-s-butchers
Flat Irons sell so so in our market but we have a small market. the people that buys them like them and get them most every week, my self I have tried them, like them but i'm a rib eye man
I like to price them around sirloin price. It's very tender and can be over cooked. Sometime is can taste like iron or liver and I think wet aging impacts the flavor negatively. We will teach this at the school too! Thanks for posting.
Kari I think you doing a very worth while program for our industry, hope you reach your goal
we couldn't sell Flat Irons when we got them in the bags, after we stop carry them I had calls for a few of them, I started cutting them out our beef and now we sell most of what we cut out every week
We are very excited about sponsoring the new, Muscolo Meat Academy! We admire Kari's passion for this trade and helping to further educate the next generation of butchers. Go Kari! Go Meat!
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Bunzl Processor Division/Koch Supplies Over 130 Years of the Right People, Right Products and Right Prices. www.bunzlkochsupplies.com
Muscolo Means Muscle! Crafting Tomorrow's Butchers.
