Contact: Ashley Andre (Huibregtse), 608-224-5002, ashley.andre@wisconsin.gov
Jim Dick, Communications Director, 608-224-5020, jim.dick@wi.gov
MADISON – Now is the time when people are making their list and checking it twice to make sure they have everything for the dinner table and gifts for the holidays. When shopping this winter season, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) encourages consumers to remember Wisconsin’s main street meat businesses.
“Wisconsin is home to more state and federally-inspected meat plants than any other state offering a huge variety of meat products to serve at holiday gatherings or give as a present,” said Jeff Swenson, DATCP’s livestock and meat specialist. “We have hundreds of locations across Wisconsin identified on our online Specialty Meats Map that will make it easy to find the closest opportunity to make a tasty addition to the holidays.”
One of the specialty meats establishments on the interactive map, found at http://datcpgis.wi.gov/SpecialtyMeats, is Richland Locker, a third generation family business owned by Craig Huth. In January, Huth became a Master Meat Crafter after successfully completing the rigorous certification program. There are only 17 Master Meat Crafters in the entire state.
“The Master Meat Crafter Program provided me with a huge amount of scientific information about meat processing that you can’t get anywhere else,” explained Huth. “The research from my project about shelf life is helping us run our retail space and sell our products in grocery stores.”
Richland Locker is just one shop across the state that offers retail shopping and custom processing, bringing animals from the hoof to the table. At the meat counter, retail customers can find hams, steaks, sausages, brats, hot dogs and much more.
This is the time to pick up fresh summer sausage and cheese to make a gift box to give. Order a ham or prime rib from your local meat shop to serve at your family table.
“Specialty meat businesses like ours offer locally-made, fresh products that you can’t beat in quality,” concluded Huth. “We are here to answer all your questions and offer the best in customer service.”
The Specialty Meats Map allows consumers to sort results by county, city, product or business name. When a location is selected, the name, contact information and available products are listed for your shopping convenience. Visit http://datcpgis.wi.gov/SpecialtyMeats this holiday season.
For more information, contact Swenson at 608-224-5082 or jeff.swenson@wisconsin.gov. Connect with DATCP on Twitter at twitter.com/widatcp or Facebook at facebook.com/widatcp.
