Wisconsin State Fair Meat Products Show Winners

The winners of the 2010 Wisconsin State Fair Meat Products Show have been announced the Winners of each class are

Flavored Bacon: Brandon Meats & Sausage in Brandon

Specialty Cooked Bratwurst (uncured): Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly in Oconomowoc

Bone-in Ham: Haen Meat Packing Inc. in Kaukauna

Whole Muscle Jerky: Lodi Sausage Company in Lodi

Small Diameter Smoked & Cooked Sausage: Brandon Meats & Sausage in Brandon

Traditional Snack Sausages: RJ's Meats & Sausage in Hudson

Flavored Snack Sausages: Lodi Sausage Company in Lodi

Summer Sausage:Brandon Meats & Sausage in Brandon


Congratulations to all the winners! For a full list of the top 4 entries in each category check the State Fair website at
http://www.wistatefair.com/pdfs/10_fair/Pressroom/Wisconsin-State_Fair_Meat_Products_Contest_Results.pdf

Happy Fourth of July!

Fourth of July weekend is the perfect time for grilling and enjoying Wisconsin made Specialty Meat products.
Check here for grilling tips and beer and sausage pairings:
http://www.hot-dog.org/ht/d/sp/i/38569/pid/38569

And Click here for great producers of Wisconsin sausage, brats, hot dogs and other delicious specialty meat products:
http://www.wi-amp.com/v2/members/

WAMP Award Winner: Louie's Finer Meats

Louie’s Finer Meats is located in Cumberland Wisconsin. It was opened in 1970 by Louis Muench Sr. and will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in November! They continue a family tradition with 7 members of the Muench family employed at the company so you can always count on finding one of the family behind the counter! Louie’s Finer Meats offers a full-service meat counter, catering for special events, custom Venison processing for hunters, and shipping for special orders. They have won over 300 State, National and International awards including 11 medals at the International Meat Product Trade Fair in Germany. Louis E. Muench, son of Louis Sr., is member of the National Cured Meats Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Wisconsin Meat Industry Hall of Fame in 2009. At the 2010 WAMP competition Louie’s Finer Meats brought home three Grand Champion awards for their Buffalo Salami, Italian Breakfast Links, and Summer Sausage as well as the award for Excellence in Product Manufacture which goes to the producer with the highest number of awards in the competition. The company also received three Reserve Grand Champion, two Champion and three Reserve Champion awards. They also offer specialized and ethnic products, grilling items such as pork grillers, ribs on a stick, marinated chicken breast, and over 100 varieties of fresh, smoked, and precooked bratwurst. The company is also very active in the community. They host a “Brat Haus” which is manned by numerous non-profit groups throughout the spring, summer and fall to raise money. Louie’s Finer Meats is located at Hwy 63 North - 2025 Superior Avenue Cumberland, WI 54829. For more information on the company, their products and where to buy them, ordering or contact information go to http://www.louiesfinermeats.com/ or follow them on Facebook or Twitter at louiesmeats.

Store hours:

Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday: 8 a.m to 8 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m

WAMP Award Winner: Sailer's Food Market and Meat Processing

Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors Product Show Award Winners:

Today we begin a series of features on the Grand Champion winners at the WAMP product show:

Our first feature is Sailer’s Food Market and Meat Processing of Elmwood, WI. Sailer’s Meats was founded in 1923 and has been run by five generations of the Sailer family. It is a state inspected custom processor of Beef, Pork, Lamb, Buffalo and Red Deer, as well as processing Venison for hunters. They carry a full line of retail cuts of meat and award winning sausages including brats, wieners, summer sausage, bologna, snack stix and strips. They also carry many smoked and cured products, including their award winning smoked beef, bacon and smoked ham. In 2010 Sailer’s received the Grand Champion award in the Dried or Smoked Beef category as well as a Best of Show award for their Smoked Beef and the Grand Champion award for their Bacon. Additionally, they won three Reserve Grand Champion, four Champion and one Reserve Champion awards at the show. Sailer’s Food Market and Meat Processing is located at 600 W Winter Ave, Elmwood, Wisconsin 54740. For more information about Sailer’s, their history and a full list of the products and services they offer visit their website at http://www.sailersmeats.com/ or find them on Facebook.

Some Facts About Wisconsin Specialty Meats

• There are 289 small state-inspected meat processing and 65 custom slaughter facilities in Wisconsin, more than any other state in the country!


• The meat industry in Wisconsin employs 19,400 people directly and creates over 88,000 jobs when you consider direct and indirect employment


• In 2008 Wisconsin meat processors were awarded 10 Grand Champion and 4 Reserve Grand Champion titles at the American Association of Meat Processors Product Show out of 25 total classes

Welcome

Welcome to the blog for the Wisconsin Specialty Meat Initiative. Our goal is to showcase the small meat processors, artisan sausage and cured meat makers producing fine specialty meat products throughout the state of Wisconsin. While nearly everyone has heard of Wisconsin's artisanal cheeses far fewer are aware the the State has one of the strongest traditions of artisanal meat production in the country. The State has both a strong ethnic tradition with small local producers creating traditional old-world varieties of sausage found few other places in North America, and a drive for innovation that has producers creating new and delicious specialty meat products found nowhere else. With Wisconsin specialty meats you are assured a level of quality and safety that only comes from knowing your producer is comitted to the highest standards of artisanal production. Check back often to see spotlights on Wisconsin producers, specialty products and local events. Support local producers that hold themselves to the highest standards, buy Wisconsin specialty meat products!