Mark Bianchetti, president of the People’s Choice Beef Jerky has seen the California-based business and the area around it change throughout his life. Nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles’ fashion district, People’s Choice has been a player in the specialty meat snacks industry for nearly a century. Continually expanding its presence, not o…

Over the last few years, Chomps has grown into a steady player in the meat snack space. One of the critical components of the brand’s success is the attention to detail in operations and finding the right partners to produce a quality product. For this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, we talk with Rashid Ali, co-chief executive officer and Zach…

Mike Drury remains focused and prepared to guide Greater Omaha Packing into its next chapters of meat processing. The president of Greater Omaha Packing Co. recently discussed with the MEAT+POULTRY podcast how the company would use a $20 million USDA grant through the Meat and Poultry Expansion Program (MPPEP). Drury stated how important the compan…

Sterling “Big Poppa” Ball always wants to push the level of barbecue flavors and tastes for people. The hall-of-fame pitmaster, who runs Big Poppa Smokers in California, recently chatted with MEAT+POULTRY to discuss what he’s seen on the barbecue landscape over the last few years and how his company teaches and promotes the art of low and slow cook…

In early 2022, MEAT+POULTRY published a story about three entrepreneurs who seized the opportunity to capitalize on America’s love for bacon. Elisa Lewis, her husband Camilo Velasquez and the couple’s friend and business partner, Dana Young, had a great run as co-owners of The Baconer, an Emeryville, Calif.-based premium bacon company. After its fo…

Mike Sloan, owner of Fulton and Herman Wurst Haus wants to givepeople hands-on experiences in the meat industry. He continues to develop sausage-making classes at his Hermannlocation and a new location in Fulton, Mo. That’s one of the reasons Sloan was the subject of this episodeof the MEAT+POULTRY podcast. Sloan describes what it’s been like takin…

MEAT+POULTRYcaught up with Jeff Tripician, chief executive officer of Grass Fed Foods while attending the Annual Meat Conference held in Dallas, Texas, in March. The newly formed company was featured in the January issue of MEAT+POULTRY magazine. During this discussion, Tripician describes the first few months of Grass Fed Foods and how the company…

The Irish Food Board, Bord Bia, recently kicked off its new campaign to bring more European beef and lamb into the United States. As promotional events and campaigns recently began in New York City, MEAT+POULTRY caught up with Henry Horkan, Bord Bia’s director of North America. Horkan shares the history of Irish cattle and how it’s grown into an im…

Earlier in 2022, Wholesome Foods Inc., in Shenandoah County, Va., was among the small to medium meat distributors who announced expansions to their slaughter facility and capacity. After hearing the news of the $1.2 million investment to upgrade operations, MEAT+POULTRY reached out to Wholesome for some insights on the new venture. For this podcast…

An Iowa-based startup is providing a different outlet for farmers and producers in Iowa and the rest of the country. Chop Local strives to be the online marketplace to connect small businesses with customers providing high quality meat. This episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast focuses on the Iowa-based company’s business strategy from the point of …

As IPPE gears up for another full event in 2023, Nath Morris, executive vice president of the show for USPOULTRY, shared plans for the industry’s annual gathering in Atlanta. During this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Morris explains the essential planning and topics that USPOULTRY has been getting ready over the past few months. He also high…

After decades of being in the business of providing seafood to Denver and the Rocky Mountains, Seattle Fish Co. recently took on a new project to broaden its meat portfolio. In November 2022, the company acquired specialty meat producer Lombardi Brothers Meats. Lombardi also operates a retail meat shop called The Ranch which started in 2020. For th…

Keeping a core idea in the message of Farmer Focus is the goal for Mark Saylor. The company’s senior brand manager shared how the poultry producer continues to work through the challenges of meat sales around the holiday season in 2022, especially after Thanksgiving. During this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Saylor describes the variety of c…

Volpi Foods is celebrating its 120th anniversary in 2022. This specialty meat processor is a longtime staple of the Hill neighborhood in St. Louis, but it has grown immensely in the last few decades. The company operates five production facilities to manufacture its Italian cured meats using time, experience and technology. In this episode of the M…

Cattaneo Bros., in San Luis Obispo, Calif., continues to push forward as a small business as it celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022. The meat processor is a lean operation specializing in jerky, beef sticks, and handmade European-style sausages. In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRYpodcast, Katelyn Kaney, chief executive officer of Cattaneo, shar…

In September, the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) sent a delegation to Tokyo, Japan, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the inaugural USMEF office opened in the city in 1977. Japan remains crucial to the US export market, and the association felt like it was an appropriate time to celebrate the long-standing relationship. So, for this episode…

Although poultry is the dominant protein industry Arkansas, beef is a vital part of the state’s agricultural economy. That’s why professors and researchers at the University of Arkansas are promoting initiatives that can impact farmers and producers of beef. For this episode of the MEAT+POULTRYpodcast, Kelly Vierck, assistant professor of animal sc…

Sanderson Farms, now a part of Wayne-Sanderson Farms, continues to tout its employee investment as the main reason the poultry processor remains successful. One of the ways the company believes it’s been effective is by implementing formal mentoring programs in recent years. Romika Wells, director of organization development and training at Sanders…

True Story Foods in Northern California is all about taking their experience in the meat industry and applying it to the next generation of small American family farms. Phil Gatto, co-founder and chief executive officer of True Story, recently joined the MEAT+POULTRY podcast to share some of his company's history, including his family’s background …

Smaller meat processors are always looking for essential resources to improve their practices to provide a quality product to their community. That’s where the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN) comes into play. Rebecca Thistlethwaite, director of the program, recently launched the Meat Processor Academy. This is a self-paced course de…

With highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases coming down in the last few months in the United States, it was important to take an overall look at what happened with the virus at the beginning of 2022. The HPAI discussion for this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast was with Matthew Koci, a professor in NC State University’s Prestage Departme…

Lance Zimmerman, the senior beef analyst at Rabo AgriFinance, wants to share his experience studying the cattle industry with the entire beef supply chain. During the conversation for the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Zimmerman describes why the move to Rabo AgriFinance was the right one for his career. Previously, Zimmerman worked for nearly 12 years at C…

The meat snack industry is not showing any signs of slowing down. The same can be said for Western’s Smokehouse Partners. In June 2022, the company announced an addition to its headquarters in Greentop, Mo., and will soon begin renovating a 100,000-square-foot facility in Burlington, Iowa, scheduled for completion by May 2023. In this episode of th…

As summer heats up, commercial meat buyers are figuring out their inventory while filling orders for customers. With ongoing supply chain difficulties, labor shortages and various other factors along with inflation, people like Kevin Lindgren, the director of merchandising at the Bronx, NY-based Baldor Specialty Foods, are navigating the world of m…

In June, the South Carolina Beef Marketing Cooperative was formed thanks to help from various agricultural entities across the state. Small beef producers continue to look for solutions to have their products processed closer to home, which is what the co-op plans to accomplish in the next few years. For this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Gw…

After his tenure at Niman Ranch, Jeff Tripician is on to his next challenge in the meat business. Tripician recently assumed the role of chief executive officer of Teton Waters Ranch based in Denver, Colo. During this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Tripician explained what motivates him about the opportunity at Teton and how it compares to ot…

Paul Bredwell, executive vice president of regulatory programs for USPOULTRY focuses on the needs of poultry industry members and providing guidance on what could be the next regulations from state or federal officials. The association is currently looking at the remand of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and how it af…

Superior Farms, a leading lamb production and processing operation based in Sacramento, Calif., continues to look for new and inventive ways to transform its product and stay ahead in its segment of the meat industry. In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Rick Stott, chief executive officer of Superior Farms, detailed the company’s new Sheep…

Since joining the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP), new outreach specialist Abbey Davidson has hit the ground running with her enthusiasm and experience in the meat industry. During this episode the MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Davidson talked about getting acclimated during her first few months at AAMP and how she’s worked to build relation…

As someone who is hands-on with regenerative agriculture in South Carolina, Jeff Siewicki of Vital Mission Farms is anxious to share his experiences on a small farm in the low country. In the last few years, Siewicki has learned how to adapt to the land with his poultry farm and, at the same time, continue to build up his name as a sustainable farm…

Mulay’s Sausage owner, Loree Mulay Weisman, explains the origins of her sausage business and how it transitioned into a full-time venture a few years ago during the latest episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast. Weisman lays out why the organic brand decided to expand into the national sausage marketplace. She also describes in detail why transparency…

After working through pivots and changes over the last two years, Plant Tours is ready to accommodate all on-site business again. The company, which supplies tour guide headphones for manufacturing facilities, agricultural sites, and distribution centers, explained its place in the meat processing industry during the latest MEAT+POULTRY podcast. Ri…

KANSAS CITY, MO. – In August 2021, Plano, Texas-based Stryve Foods launched a line of premium supplements called Stryve Nutrition. Supplements may seem like a departure for a company known for its better-for-you portfolio of air-dried meat snacks, but for Stryve, the meat snacks are a natural progression to provide health-conscious consumers with h…

Ambassador Meats found a new place to showcase its Minnesota roots. The sausage and hot dog brand, which falls under the Land O’ Frost Inc. umbrella, recently became one of the main sponsors of the US Pond Hockey Championships held in late January in Minneapolis, Minn. For this MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Clint Yonkers, associate brand manager, discusses…

Cultured or cell-based meat continues to make progress toward entering the marketplace. With the rise of this meat alternative, the infrastructure that’s needed to bring the product to more people in the United States and around the world is also developing. That’s where Matrix Meats comes in. The Columbus, Ohio-based company, operated by co-founde…

As 2022 begins, logistics and supply chain challenges remain in place throughout the United States and the world. Whether it’s the scenes at ports or the lack of truck drivers out on the highways, companies are looking for solutions to this ongoing issue. One place that continues to provide flexibility and insights for the meat industry is Northpoi…

When the focus of a special report for the meat and poultry processing industry is the evolution of animal welfare over the past century, which was the topic of MEAT+POULTRY’s December issue cover story, the primary source could only be Temple Grandin, PhD, professor of animal science at Colorado State University and an expert on animal behavior an…

As 2021 comes to a close, one of the critical areas of the meat industry that continues to be a topic of conversation is sustainability. More trade groups and corporations have made moves this year to state their intentions on global sustainable development. For this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, director of AgNext at …

Supply chain troubles are going to continue throughout the meat industry and the world heading into 2022. This reality has stakeholders throughout the agriculture supply chain grappling with contingency plans. So how will processors and producers deal with this? On this week’s episode of the MEAT+POULTRYpodcast, Cortney Cowley, senior economist at …

*This podcast was originally published on July 30 On this week’s MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, our Operations Executive of the Year, Walt Shafer, discusses some of the details of his latest success as chief operations officer at Costco owned Lincoln Premium Poultry in Fremont, Neb., Costco’s exclusive and fully integrated chicken supplier. Shafer begins wi…

The price tag of Thanksgiving will be up in 2021. Recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics said that food prices at home are up 5.4% over the past 12 months. With inflation still a concern for Americans, putting that turkey on the table next week will not look the same as it has in recent years. Producers and processors were already dealing with the CO…

Chef Erik Niel says Main Street Meats began as a kernel of an idea that already existed. He and his wife Amanda Niel own and operate the butcher shop in addition to Easy Bistro & Bar, both in Chattanooga, Tenn. The award-winning chef’s culinary career spans 25 years. Although he attended the University of Texas at Austin to study psychology with a …

Flippy, the burger-turning robotic arm developed by Miso Robotics, now has the capability to conquer the fry station and the flat-top grill. The Pasadena, Calif.-based startup that designs and builds automated solutions for the foodservice industry announced upgrades to its flagship product, Flippy, and the launch of a new product line called Flipp…

The duroc pigs are a key part of pork history in America. Looking around the industry now, many people might think of just white or pink pigs on farms but the red duroc is still holding strong in the US. That’s why Clay Zwilling, CEO of the National Swine Registry (NSR), is working to put more duroc on the map again with the launch of a certified p…

Youth Meat Animal Extension Assistant Professor is not a common title we hear when thinking about meat education in the United States. As someone who started as a professor in 2020, Brianna Buseman has hit the ground running in her career at the University of Nebraska. In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Buseman described why she wanted to…

Farmer Focus, based in Harrisonburg, Va., wants people to think about the family farm when they buy their product. It’s that mission and intention that fuels Corwin Heatwole, president of Farmer Focus. In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Heatwole describes how the idea for this poultry company and brand developed into an important lifebloo…

Brothers Joe, Michael and Jimmy Quinn grew up in Brooklyn, NY, hearing all about Feltman’s of Coney Island. The iconic beachside eatery was founded in 1867, by Charles Feltman, a German baker and entrepreneur whose claim to fame was inventing the world’s first hot dog and selling them by the thousands to Brooklyn area beachgoers. Feltman died in 19…

The COVID pandemic has been a challenging time for the meat and poultry industry, but for Sacramento, Calif.-based Superior Farms it was a time of unexpected sales increases. When the pandemic hit 18 months ago, and foodservice sales immediately plummeted, Superior Farms feared what it could mean to its bottom line, as almost half of the company’s …

Consumer engagement with food delivery services surged during the pandemic. The NPD Group, Chicago, found that consumers increased their capacity for preparing meals at home, aided by a host of new appliances and gadgets in the kitchen. And as consumers return to school and work, portable on-the-go options or restaurant meals will regain some impor…

Mindy Brashears, PhD, has spent the majority of her career in academia – first as a faculty member and extension specialist at the University of Nebraska and later at Texas Tech University as an assistant, associate and later full professor of food science. She has devoted her career to studying food science and training the next generation of food…