commentary
AMSA
A refreshing start to New Mexico State University Meat Science activities
The NMSU Las Cruces campus is unique in that its nearly 164-acre agricultural district sits adjacent to the campus core.
By Dr. Shanna Ivey
Above: Dr. Francine Mezzomo Giotto, Jacob Painter and Craig Painter.
In June 2021, New Mexico State University (NMSU) celebrated the groundbreaking for its Agricultural Modernization Educational Facilities project, following the approval of $43 million green-lit by voters in two phases through the 2018 and 2020 General Obligation Bond (GO Bond) elections. The project was part of a long-term facilities master plan for all NMSU’s campuses and sites statewide that aimed to repurpose or replace older buildings with structures that meet the current and future needs of the university’s land-grant mission.
On Nov. 3, 2023, the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES) hosted the ribbon cutting ceremony to open the doors of the Food Science, Security, and Safety Center, one of three buildings completed so far with the GO Bond funds. The building houses a meat science laboratory; a lecture hall with the capacity to seat 65 named after the late L. Neil Burcham, a professor for the College of ACES for nearly half a century; a retail store; a food science laboratory; one food chemistry/quality assurance/quality control laboratory; and a value-added foods laboratory (serving as a pilot plant for product development).
The new facility will strengthen the capabilities of the College of ACES to serve the needs of the state and the border region through teaching, research, extension, and outreach activities while also serving customers' needs through custom slaughter and fabrication services. The facility will employ undergraduate students and aims to expand the portfolio of NMSU brand products with the offering of beef, pork, and lamb. Additionally, the facility will support 4-H and FFA projects.
Food Science, Security, and Safety Center.
Pistol Pete’s Premium Meats retail store.
On top of the new facility, NMSU also hired three new faculty and staff members to coordinate meat science and judging activities serving the institution's needs for the Animal Science (ANSC) and Food Science and Technology (FSTE) degree programs. The hires included Jacob Painter, serving as the meat lab manager and head coach of the meat judging team; Craig Painter, as the livestock judging coach and instructor, and Dr. Francine Mezzomo Giotto, as the Assistant Professor of Meat Science.
For the first time since the retirement of Dr. Jack Thomas, who taught meat science prior to his retirement in 2015, students from the ANSC and FSTE degree programs can enroll in classes such as Introduction to Meat Science; Meat and Muscle Biology; and Processed Meats. These new courses offered at NMSU expose students to hands-on learning opportunities, industry speakers, internships, facilities tours, and events hosted by the American Meat Science Association (AMSA).
NMSU Meat Science team also provides support to the needs of the industry. In this past year, Jacob Painter helped Stampede Meat to bolster their current Butcher Certification program by adding an on the floor training portion. The Stampede Butcher Certification was previously held as an in-classroom “theory" course only. As stated by Kelsey Eklin, Stampede strategic project and office manager “the support from Jacob has been a tremendous help to us to certify our trainers for the on-the-floor training at Stampede. His hard work has helped make the relaunch of our program a huge success.”
The meat science program at NMSU also features a newly formed meat judging team. The team is poised and ready to cross the country to attend competitions, promote student development, networking, and build workforce capacity with the meat industry. In addition to the financial support received from the AMSA through the Judging Jump Start fund, the team will also organize barbecue catering services as a fundraiser to support team travel to national contests.
The NMSU Las Cruces campus is unique among American collegiate campuses in that its agricultural district, which is approximately 164 acres in size, is adjacent to the campus core. NMSU has all the physical and human resources to educate the future generation of industry leaders. For more information about NMSU Animal Science, visit anrs.nmsu.edu. For NMSU Food Science & Technology, visit https://fcs.nmsu.edu/. Specific questions about meat science can be directed to Dr. Francine Mezzomo Giotto, fgiotto@nmsu.edu, 575-646-2492 or Jacob Painter, jacobpa@nmsu.edu.
Dr. Shanna Ivey is the department head for the Department of Animal and Range Sciences at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
All image credits: New Mexico State University Meat Science
