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farm406 40 "It's been a long road but now I think we are on the road to success with Kim," Engle said, referring to Kim Gibbs, an agricultural studies instructor at Miles Community College (MCC) in Miles City. For the past several years, Gibbs has been hoping to develop a program that could offer a person a journeyman certificate in meat cuing. "We've been working on this for about three years now, but COVID has sort of spurred things along," Gibbs told me. "People are even more aware right now about where their meat comes from and they want to be able to buy it locally." e certificate program is a joint effort between the Montana Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF), the Montana Meat Processors Association and MCC. If the certificate program moves forward, it'll be the first of its kind in the state. One of the unique aspects to the program is that a student can take their core classes online from MCC and then spend 7 weeks completing a paid internship with processing plants across the state. e students will be able to stay in their own communities while they take classes and then get hands-on experience in Montana's meat cuing operations. e hope is, obviously, when there is a good fit, that those students will stay on at their internship sites for long-term employment. Beef jerky laid out on a tray getting ready to be smoked at Pioneer Meats in Big Timber, Montana. Pioneer Meats sells direct to consumers from their meat processing facility in Big Timber, MT. During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand from consumers for local meat has increased so much, sometimes it's hard to keep meat on the shelves. Miles Community College Ag & Equine CDL/Heavy Business & Automotive Nursing & Meat Processing And more! Equipment Accounting Healthcare 406.874.6100 1.800.541.9281 2715 Dickinson St Miles City, MT 59301 Free Preview Day - Monday, November 9 milescc.edu Now offering career technical degrees in one year or less!