UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE OFFERS NEW MEAT SCIENCE DEGREE

Story by Amy Beth Graves

The news spread like wildfire in the southern Ohio agricultural communities. A new associates degree in meat science was marking the return of agriculture to Rio Grande University.

As one of the university’s two deans and a cattle producer herself, Dr. Stephanie Wells-Mullins immediately understood the impact the new program would have on both the university and livestock industry. Wells-Mullins stated that she has been fielding phone calls and emails from excited parents and students inquiring about the new program, which is focusing on beef cattle, small ruminant production and end products.

“The outpouring of support from the community has been absolutely phenomenal. Students say that they now have more options and don’t have to leave home to get their degree. It’s going to be a really solid offering for students in the region,” said Wells-Mullins, Dean of the College of Professional and Technical Studies.

The program, which started in fall 2022, is in collaboration with the Ohio State University. The fall meat science class was remote and the current spring ruminant class, “Intro to Beef and Small Ruminant Production,” is a hybrid of classroom and hands-on learning at Ohio State’s Agricultural Research Station and Extension Of- fice in Jackson, which focuses on beef cattle and sheep production research and Extension programs.

“The partnership between The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College, will allow us to further our land grant mission and best serve the citizens of Ohio,” said Dr. Cathann A. Kress, Vice President for Agricultural Administration and CFAES Dean. “We are collaborating with Rio on plans to create pathways for degree programs leading to a fouryear degree in animal sciences – where students might start at Rio Grande, then transfer to our Columbus campus to finish their degree.”

The university has a long relationship with Bob Evans Farm. More than 60 years ago, Rio Grande sold part of its land to restaurateur Bob Evans, marking the start of the Bob Evans legacy and still houses the original restaurant and homestead. In 2017 Bob Evans Corp. donated land to the university, and the plan is to shift classes to a permanent structure located on that land. The university is in the planning and designing stage of building a barn that will also house classrooms, cold storage space, as well as designated areas for hands-on train- ing with the animals, Wells-Mullins said. About 150 acres are available for rotational grazing of livestock.

Two of Evans’ children, Steve Evans and Debbie Donskov, shared how proud their father would be to see agriculture part of today’s curriculum at Rio.

“Agriculture was Dad’s love. Beef cattle, the land, agriculture – those were his passions and finding ways to keep people on the family farm. This program will definitely provide this opportunity. Dad would be very happy that ag education is going to take place on this farm,” Donskov said after a news conference last May announcing the new two-year degree.

In this first year, Ohio State faculty are teaching the agricultural and animal science courses, while Rio Grande is focusing on general education and business courses. Students also have access to Rio’s academic advisors and success coaches. This type of support is critical for some students to succeed, Wells-Mullins said.

Wells-Mullins stated that “I was a good student in high school and knew that I wanted to attend college, however I was intimidated by the larger colleges and universities, which is a common theme in the area. I chose to attend Rio, where I earned my undergraduate degree, and it was a good choice for me. I was able to stay on the family farm while earning my degree, which I believe is something that still resonates with this generation. There are a lot of possibilities and opportunities for this program”.

The new degree will tap into a wide range of career opportunities, including meat packing manager, farm manager, feedlot manager, livestock grader, meat inspector, animal welfare and beef farm worker, Wells-Mullins said.

“I do not think that a lot of potential students realize that there is more to an agriculture degree than learning to raise animals. There are numerous components that comprise the agriculture industry,” she said.

Students will have significant hands-on experience with livestock and meat science as well as learning business management skills.

“The labs are meant to be real-world, hands-on experiences –working the animals and understanding some of the reproductive practices used by farmers in Ohio. This partnership allows us to interact with students from southern Ohio who we might not have reached through our other

Ohio State channels,” said Dr. Stephen Boyles, professor in the CFAES Department of Animal Sciences.

Wells-Mullins has been helping generate buzz about the new degree by visiting the Farm Science Review and high schools to talk to FFA and vocational agriculture students, as well as renting a mechanical bull for an event at Rio Grande to draw attention. Plans are to offer a barbecue science class this summer.

“We want to get the community involved and continue to expand the new program’s exposure. The BBQ Science class is going to be a fun event with smokers and grills set up on campus. Participants will learn about the different cuts of meat, how to make their own rubs, and how to cook them,” she said.

As an eighth-generation cattle producer in Vinton County, Wells-Mullins has seen firsthand how a shortage of skilled agricultural labor has impacted southern Ohio.

“I had two steers that I was finishing out just before the Covid pandemic hit in 2020. Normally, I would have been able to call three months ahead of time to schedule a slaughter date, but when I called for a date in 2020, I was told that it was going to be a minimum of 18 months to get a processing date– which lead to the issue of an over-finished steer,” she said. “The pandemic had a major impact on the food supply infrastructure that we have not fully recovered from. Just last month I dropped a hog off for processing and that particular butcher shop still had three kill floor job openings that needed filled. The new Meat Science Program at Rio will help meet these local market demands and help maintain the balance between supply and demand for meat products by supplying the workforce with educated and skilled employees”, said Wells-Mullins.

Steve Evans said he’s excited to see the impact the new program will have on the local community.

“This place has come full circle and once again the land will be used for something to promote the welfare of our community,” he said.

To learn more about the new degree, visit www.rio.edu/meat-science or email Wells-Mullins at swmullins@ rio.edu.