Dr. Grandin photoed here in 2015 when she was awarded the American Farm Bureau Federation distinguished service to agriculture award.

The School of the New American Farmstead at Sterling College is offering the course “Ethical Slaughter and Butchery” for those looking to explore how to safely, ethically, and humanely bring livestock from the field to the table. This five-day course, held June 19-23, 2017, will combine dialogue, presentations, and debate with observational slaughter and hands-on butchery of several species of livestock.

A single half-day master class with Dr. Temple Grandin, animal scientist, researcher, and award-winning author will also take place. Grandin will apply her groundbreaking approach to decoding animal behavior to small farms, identifying and addressing the special needs and challenges of these livestock operations.

“Animal abuse is inherent in modern factory farming, so it is up to the small and mid-size farmer to incorporate respectful, ethical ways to raise animals for consumption,” says Dr. Alan Goldberg, one of the instructors in the course. Goldberg is a professor of toxicology at Johns Hopkins University and the Founding Director (emeritus) of the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing. Starting in 2007, Dr. Goldberg served as a Pew Commissioner on the study of the impact of U.S. industrial farm animal production, on issues of public health, environment, animal welfare, and social justice. “Animals need freedom from distress, pain, and fear, as well as the ability on the farm to express natural behaviors.”