A new butchery course at Hawai‘i Community College graduated its inaugural class of six at the Kō Center in Honoka‘a.
The hands-on, six-week program, included field trips to ranches, hog farms and local butcher shops. The groundbreaking course aims to strengthen Hawai‘i’s local food systems by preparing a new generation of skilled professionals in sustainable meat processing, according to a university press release.
Billy Wong, instructor for the course, expressed his pride for the graduating students.
“They all have a direction – they want to continue practicing these skills for themselves, their community, or to be directly involved in the industry,” Wong, co-founder and owner of 17 Ranch in Kohala, said. “I believe we just took the first step in bringing back the lost art of butchery.”
The butchery course offers students comprehensive, hands-on training in butchery, including humane slaughter methods, carcass breakdown, and meat processing.
The curriculum also covers food safety standards, proper meat labeling, and animal husbandry, to prepare students for employment in Hawai’i’s butchery industry.
“We are pioneering the kind of butchery that’s needed today,” Wong said. “This course is a small piece but it comes at a time when we are concerned about the future of our planet and our food sources. What students will learn in six weeks would normally take a year to learn in the workforce.”
Among the graduates was Kawika Bernabe, whose father was a journeyman meat cutter for decades. Bernabe, who previously worked in the culinary industry, enrolled in the course to “sharpen his butchery skills.”
“Big Island meat is some of the best meat out there in terms of flavor, quality and sustainability,” he said. “We as future butchers stand to serve as the bridge in getting these products from local farmers and ranchers into the hands of local consumers.”
County and community leaders attended, including Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda, KTA Super Stores Vice President Derek Kurisu and Council Member James Hustace.
“The launch of Hawaiʻi Community College’s butchery course at the Kō Education Center marks a pivotal moment for our island,” Alameda said. “This program prepares and equips our students with essential skills that strengthen our local food systems and foster our island’s self-sufficiency while honoring our rich agricultural heritage.
“I commend these graduates for being pioneers in an industry that is vital to our community’s future.”
Two new butchery course cohorts are planned for summer of 2025. For more information, email hawvcaa@hawaii.edu or call 808-934-2512.
The butchery course is funded through a four-year, $950,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The training is part of the UH Meat & Poultry Workforce Consortium, in collaboration with UH Hilo and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at UH Mānoa.
Nicole Garcia, executive director of the Honokaʻa Heritage Center and coordinator of the Hāmākua Sugar Days Festival, said it’s crucial for small, rural communities to have access to post-secondary education, technical training and certificate courses to provide opportunities for everyone in the community.
“I think our community will greatly benefit from the butchery program,” Garcia said in a university press release in October 2024. “It aligns perfectly with the needs of our area, where ranching is such a big part of life. I’m particularly excited to see this program fill a critical gap, offering valuable professional development close to home.”
