Estes E. Firestone Meat Laboratory

Meat Science Student working in OPSU meat Lab

Welcome to the Estes. E Firestone Meat Laboratory

Located on the corner of Harrison and Church Street on campus, the Firestone Meat Lab serves both students and the community. It provides hands-on learning opportunities for students enrolled in courses such as Harvest Lab, Meat Evaluation, Meat Grading, Retail Meat Cutting, and Meat Science. In addition to its educational mission, the Meat Lab offers retail meat sales to the public, featuring beef, pork, goat, and lamb products processed on-site. Local residents can also bring livestock for USDA-inspected processing, making the lab a valuable resource for both learning and local food production.

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Student Learning Areas

Throughout their time in the Meat Lab, students will learn the proper USDA handling and processing procedures for both the harvest and fabrication processes. On the harvest floor, students will have the opportunity to help with the harvest process through the Harvest Lab. On the fabrication floor, students are taught the nitty-gritty of the butchering process. From a carcass on the rail to a single cut in the package, students are taught how to break down a carcass into retail cuts, package products to ensure a longer shelf life, grind and package ground product, formulate and mix brine for cured products, and the importance of proper sanitation and accurate record keeping. In the classroom, students are taught how to evaluate and grade carcasses and cuts, meat industry history, and the basics of retail meat cutting.

L to R: Bexlei Good, Kaley Walls-Legrand, J.D. Fox, Jake Hinds, Toby McClure

Additional Opportunities

In addition, students are provided the opportunity to work in the Meat Lab and learn the ins and outs of the meat processing industry, as well as retail marketing. Every November, OPSU hosts an FFA Interscholastic contest in which the Meat Lab hosts a meat judging contest, as well as providing workouts for local meat judging teams. Lastly, the facility provides a place for local citizens to have their livestock processed to reinforce student learning. On-site federal inspectors oversee all aspects of the processing of beef, pork, and lamb. The Meat Lab funds itself with revenues generated from retail sales and processing.

Retail Sales

Firestone Meat Lab also offers beef, pork, and lamb retail products and is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 am – 6 pm. Prices and sales are posted on the OPSU Meat Lab Facebook Page. Orders can also be placed by calling the Meat Lab at 580-349-1518 or emailing toby.mcclure@opsu.edu.

Menu and Retail Prices (PDF)

Beef Cutting Form (PDF)

Pork Cutting Form (PDF)

Slaughter and Processing Fees (PDF)