Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Theresa Cecka Parks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Theresa Cecka , thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Minneapolis Meat Collective differs from regular butchery or cooking classes in a few key ways. First, we are hyper-local and are committed to sourcing our meat from local farmers of MN and the classes are taught right in the heart of Minneapolis and nearby St. Paul. This has been a part of the mission behind MMC since its humble beginnings. Second, we focus on whole animal butchery and cookery. This encourages chefs and home cooks to step outside their comfort zone and use all parts of the animal, including fat, skin, bones, organ meats, etc. We believe that this focus helps people understand that eating meat can be an sustainable act and when we use the whole animal, we actually get the most nutritional benefit as well.

Theresa Cecka , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The Minneapolis Meat Collective was started for three main reasons: to help demystify meat for home cooks, chefs, homesteaders; to bridge the gap between livestock farmers and meat eaters; to bring butchers to the front by showing people the work of turning muscle into meat.

Meat Collectives exist all over the country and vary from state to state but in general a meat collective is a school and community resource that offers hands-on classes to consumers in whole-animal butchery and cookery. For each Meat Collective class, we buy whole animals directly from local farms. Then the students work with Meat Collective instructors to learn how to transform the whole carcass into food. Butchers, and sometimes collaborating chefs, share their craft with a community of people who are curious to learn more about this rare knowledge and bring it home with them. And farmers sell directly to consumers who support humane and sustainable farming practices. The result? A growing community of informed omnivores who are inspired to eat meat more responsibly and to support a more responsible meat production system.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

While I was working at a local Coop in MPLS, I started an IG account focused on Meat/butchery. This was a personal project for me and gave me a place to put my photos and share what I was learning. While I learned how to cut, I would add many photos of new skills I was learning and new experiences in harvesting the animal on a farm or visits to a processing plant. I used IG as a place to mark my journey and get creative with my knowledge. This has morphed into my business IG acct and is still a place where I post all my meat happenings and discoveries. I am heavily invested in the world of meat and butchery and love to share that knowledge and expertise with my community.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of my major setbacks in the beginning was imposter syndrome. I used the word often and felt it almost daily. Each new event or class left me feeling like I didn’t have any business doing what I was doing. It was hard to see myself as an expert or teacher but over time I began to see my confidence build and my ability to get past imposter syndrome improved over time. I had to be uncomfortable and challenged before I felt at ease and I had to push myself sometimes more than I wanted.

These lessons were necessary for me and presently, I am glad for them and what they taught me about myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mplsmeatcollective.com
• Instagram: meat_musings
• Facebook: MPLS Meat Collective

Image Credits
Sarah Carroll Greener Pastures