2026 Convention
2026 NWMPA Convention
In Honor of Ron Richard
When: March 19-21, 2026
Where: University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
The University of Idaho just completed their Meat Science Innovation Center dedicated to Ron Richard. This building was completed in November of 2025. We are so pleased to be able to learn and be a part of this great new education building! Come learn and grow with us!
Pre-Convention Workshops
Thursday March 19th, 2026
Please Note: These workshops are open to Processors only and have limited spaces available. Thank you.
Space for these classes is limited to 150 people total. Each class will have 50 people in it. If you have two of the speakers you would like to be a part of, please indicate that when you register. There is enough time for you to attend two of the three classes in the pre-convention workshops. Classes will start at 12:30pm on Thursday, March 19th and go for two hours each. There will be a 30 minute break and then the next class will start.
Class 1 – Humane Slaughtering and Animal Welfare Audits
Collette Kaster, M.S.
CEO American Meat Science Association, Executive Director Professional Animal Auditor Certification Association
Class Details: Work through the new pens and slaughter floor at Vandal Brand Meats learning proper animal handling, stunning techniques and what goes into an animal welfare audit.
Class 2 – Beating the Bad Bugs
Janna Verberg-Hamlett, Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Idaho
Class Details: This class will be focused on learning what it is that causes listeria, e-coli, salmonella and other “bad bugs” to propagate in our processing facilities and how to destroy them for good.
Class 3 – Cured Meat Injection and Tumbling
David Hayden
Marination and Cured Meats Product Manager Global - JBT Marel, B.S. Animal Science from Murray State University and M.S. In Meat Science from Oklahoma State University
Class Details: David will walk this class through how to proper methods for injection and vacuum tumbling products for success. His extensive work and years of expertise in this field will be a tremendous help to all who are working in this field.
Demonstration
Friday March 20th, 2026
Nathan Bingham
Owner of Bingham's Custom Meats in Morgan, UT. President of the Butchers of America
Nathan will be performing to showcase what it is that Butchers of America does. This will showcase how to cut meats for a retail case with a high presentation value for your customer. This is a presentation and a show that you won’t want to miss!
2026 Convention Sponsor
Saturday Classes
March 21st, 2026
Classes that address needs for each state. Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Utah will all have a class designed for them to discuss needs in each state.
Ergonomics in the Cutting Room
Dr. Shane Carnahan DC
This is an opportunity to learn techniques for flexibility and being able to endure the workday that meat cutting requires of each person doing this job. There are proper techniques for lifting and working that Dr. Carnahan will teach in this class. He has helped other meat cutters before and would like to help you!
Business Management Well Balanced
Brett Wilder and Colby Field of the University of Idaho
Owning a business is difficult and can wear on each of us. Mr Wilder and Mr Field both teach business and economics at the University of Idaho and are widely respected in their fields. They understand business economics when it comes to agriculture and they would like to teach you some what they know about running a business in a balanced way for your employees, your family and ultimately, for you.
Rendering in 2026
Abbey Davidson, AAMP Representative
Abbey is able to see rendering from a national perspective from her position on the AAMP staff and sees the hardship that has come upon many processors throughout the country. She is bringing some real life examples of what is working for other processors throughout the country and what could work for you as well.
Scheduling Cutouts to Aggregate Gross Margin
David Zarling, NMPAN
David Zarling has been on the staff at NMPAN for many years and travels the country speaking on the many issues that surround meat processing. He is considered an expert in many fields and acts as a consultant to processors throughout the country. David is going to speak on how to price each cut of meat towards the best gross margin that you can achieve. He has tools that he would like to share with the group on how to accomplish this.
Injection and Tumbling
David Hayden, JBT Marel
This will be a condensed version of the Thursday class. David will be doing a class room setting with slides and charts to teach how to ensure the best product out of your shop each time.
Bull Session
Jake Hines, Hines Meat Co, President of NWMPA
Jake will lead a session where each person in the room has the ability to bring up issues or successes in their shop. This has been a great class for us to learn from each other. Each person has the opportunity to open up about what is going well and what is not going well and others in the class will be able to speak into that with ideas that have worked for them.
New Cured Meats Award!
For the first time ever, we are giving a scholarship to the person who takes home the Bob Dixon Best of Show Award.
If you win the award in our cured meats competition for Best of Show, you will receive a scholarship for up to $2000.00 of expenses to send you to the AAMP Convention in Milwaukie, WI July 9-11, 2026.
Convention Registration
Hotel room blocks are now available for registration
Best Western University Inn, Moscow, ID
Prior to February 19th, 2026 , please visit Reservations or call 208-882-0550 x 0 and mention NW Meat Processors. When using the link, please confirm your arrival and departure dates at the top of the first page.
If the link is showing no availability or you are unable to book your requested room type, please call the hotel directly. The link will expire after February 19th, 2026.
For information on the hotel, please visit Best Western Plus University Inn
Cured Meats Championships
Click the button below for info and rules
First Time Attending?
Get Free Admission!
If this is the first time your business is attending convention, your admission is waived. This covers the first two attendees from your shop for three meals and all access to convention. Each additional member is $100 and this does not cover the Presidents Dinner and Awards Banquet.
Convention Schedule
Thursday, March 19th
Workshop Schedule – Classes held at the Ron Richards Meat Lab and the Seed Potato Facility
There are three classes being held on Thursday. Each person who is signed up for the classes will be able to attend two of them. To accomplish this, each person will be assigned a group number. We are asking that you stay with your group when they rotate to the new class.
12:30pm –
– Humane Slaughter, Collette Caster – Ron Richard Meat Lab – Group A
– Beating the Bad Bugs, Janna Verberg-Hamlett – Seed Potato Facility – Group B
– Cured Meat Injection, David Hayden and Kassandra McKillip – Ron Richard Meat Lab – Group C
2:30pm – Break
3:00pm –
– Humane Slaughter, Collette Caster – Ron Richard Meat Lab – Group B
– Beating the Bad Bugs, Janna Verberg-Hamlett – Seed Potato Facility – Group C
– Cured Meat Injection, David Hayden and Kassandra McKillip – Ron Richard Meat Lab – Group A
5:00pm – Break
6:00pm – Presidents Reception Dinner/Swag Swap – University Inn Best Western (Reservations required and must be made through the NWMPA office.)
Friday, March 20th
7:00am to 9:00am – Cured Meats Check-in – Ron Richard Meat Lab
9:00am – Convention Kick off at Pitman Center, Vandal Ballroom
– Welcome by Jake Hines, Hines Meats, President of NWMPA
– James Nasados – University of Idaho Update
– Tribute to Ron Richard
– State of Cattle Industry
10:30am – Cutting Demonstration by Nathan Bingham, Bingham’s Meat and President of Butchers Of America
11:30am – Morning Program Concludes – Lunch is served in Vandal Ballroom
12:00pm – Tours Begin
– If you are signed up for the tours of Garfield Meats and C&L Locker, it will show on your badge which group you are a part of. Go the van loading area to begin your tour.
– If you are taking a tour of the Ron Richard Meat Lab, your badge will say which group you are a part of. We are going to release people in groups to go on that tour. You can either drive yourself or take the Campus Trolley. Your name badge will say which tour group you are a part of.
3:00pm – Vendor Show Opens
6:00pm – Vendor Show Closes
6:30pm – Dinner is served at University Inn Best Western
– Music provided by Blue Mountain Highway Band
– Silent Auction
– Knife Sharpening Contest
– Cornhole Tournament
10:00pm – Evening concludes
Saturday, March 21st
7:00am – Convention Hall Opens
8:00am – Vendor Show Opens
11:00am – Vendor Show Closes
11:00am – First set of classes opens. These will happen at the same time:
– Oregon Room – Conference Center Room 1 o Matt Liscom, Blue Mountain Community College
o Oregon Cattlemen’s Association
o Oregon State University, Carol Lorenzen
– Washington Room – Conference Center Room 2 o WSDA
o Washington Cattlemen’s Association
– Idaho Room – Conference Center Room 3 o Idaho Cattle Association Representative
o University of Idaho
– Utah Room o Andalyn Billings of the Utah State University
o Utah Cattlemen’s Association
11:45am – Break for Lunch – Vandal Ballroom
12:30pm – Business Meeting – Vandal Ballroom
1:00pm – Second Session of classes opens. These will happen at the same time:
– Pitman Center Room 1 o Ergonomics in the Cutting Room – Dr Shane Carnahan, DC
– Pitman Center Room 2 o Business Management Well Balanced – Brett Wilder and Colby Field of the University of Idaho
– Pitman Center Room 3 o Rendering in 2026 – Abbey Davidson of AAMP and Sarah Lemon of the WSDA
2:00pm – Third Session of classes opens. These will happen at he same time:
– Pitman Center Room 1 o Scheduling Cutouts to Aggregate Gross Margin – David Zarling of NMPAN
– Pitman Center Room 2 o Injection and Tumbling – David Hayden and Kassandra McKillip of JBT Marel
– Pitman Center Room 3 o Bull Session – Led by Jake Hines of Hines Meat Co and President of NWMPA
2:45pm – Break
5:00pm – Social Hour – Sponsored by Reiser – International Ballroom Pitman Center
Final bids for the silent auction are due by 5:55pm!
6:00pm – Dinner is served
6:45pm – Awards show begins – Sponsored by Handtmann
8:15pm – Cured Meats Auction
8:45pm – Awards show closes
9:00pm – Closing of Convention by President of NWMPA
Convention Sponsor:
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NW Cured Meats Competition Sponsor:
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Convention Silver Sponsor:
Convention Bronze Sponsor:
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Convention Bronze Sponsor:
