Meat Collectives
Join or start a Meat Collective to learn from pros, support local farmers, and take home quality meat and rare skills.
Let's build a Good Meat® movement today.
Donate today!The [Mighty] Meat Collective
A Meat Collective is a community meat school and resource that offers hands-on classes in whole-animal butchery, cookery, and charcuterie, as well as humane slaughter. A Meat Collective is a bit like a community garden but for meat, or a butcher shop where the customers get to stand side by side with the butchers and farmers. During a Meat Collective class, you might meet a local farmer selling whole animals to students who, in turn, learn how to transform a whole carcass into food. Students go home with a lot of meat, increasingly rare knowledge and skills, and they are inspired to continue to support the chefs, butchers, and farmers in their region.
Meet the people powering meat collectives around the U.S. and explore their latest class offerings.
Interested in Launching a Local Meat Collective?
Startup Guide
We built an entire library of resources and tools to help you launch a Meat Collective in your community. Resources include a comprehensive startup guide, class recipe packets, student form templates, and more. Materials are donation-based, on a sliding-scale. *Note that our resources were most recently updated in 2018.
More Questions?
We realize Meat Collectives are a unique business model. Sometimes, even after reading through all of our materials, and talking to others, you'll still have questions. Get in touch with us and we'll connect you to the right person, maybe even the founder of the Meat Collective model!
Meat Your Meat Collectives
Part butcher, part educator— the meat collective teaches the art of meat with precision and passion.
McCullough Kelly-Willis
Chicago Meat Collective
From a curious college student to a full-blown meat educator, McCullough Kelly-Willis has spent the last decade breaking down animals—and barriers—between consumers and their food.
Learn more about McCullough and the Chicago Meat Collective.
Cecka Parks
Minneapolis Meat Collective
Cecka started MPLS Meat Collective with a knife in one hand and a mission in mind. With a deep respect for farmers, animals, and good food, Cecka teaches whole animal butchery that’s rooted in values, not just technique.
Learn more about Cecka and the Minneapolis Meat Collective
Anna Gilberts
Wisconsin Meat Collective
Anna’s journey from meat manager to founder of the Wisconsin Meat Collective is all about passing the knife—literally and figuratively. With shanks over steaks and education over ego, she’s redefining what butchery looks like in her state.
Learn more about Anna and the Wisconsin Meat Collective.
Tom Wheatley
Utah Meat Collective
What began as a personal mission to raise and butcher his own pigs turned into the Utah Meat Collective: a place where everyday folks can get their hands on real, honest butchery skills. Armed with years of hunting experience, a home-built butcher shop, and a deep respect for animals, Tom teaches with humility and purpose.
Learn more about Tom and the Utah Meat Collective.
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