PENDLETON — Blue Mountain Community College announced Thursday, Dec. 14, it will be expanding its meat science lab to accept custom mean processing orders starting in the new year, through grant funding.

According to a press release, the college received $300,000 in grant funding through a partnership with Oregon State University Extension.

The funding is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and should help address the shortage of entry-level meat processing employees. It also will cover the hiring of a meat science lab manager, Sara Garrow, as well as expanding the processing program.

“We’re working with the OSU Extension Service to design a meat processing certification program in the next year or so,” BMCC agricultural instructor Matt Liscom said in the release, “but now we are open and ready for business.”

Beginning Jan. 2, 2024, the meat science lab will process and fill custom orders for cattle, pigs, sheep and goats.

To place a custom processing order with BMCC’s meat science lab, call or email Garrow, the lab manager, at sgarrow@bluecc.edu or 541-278-5843.