Illinois meat processors doing more with less
By RHIANNON BRANCH
FarmWeek
Higher production and equipment costs have meat processors finding ways to do more with less.
Chris Young, executive director of the American Association of Meat Processors, said when the Biden administration shut down the Keystone Pipeline it had ripple effects.
“Most people don’t realize, but a lot of things that we do deal with petroleum like the plastics that we vacuum package with, as well as transportation to then get those finished products out to the consumer” Young told DeLoss Jahnke of the RFD Radio Network. “So those are just layers of costs and hopefully we’ll see some of that turn around now that we’re back to drilling again.”
During the Illinois Association of Meat Processors’ (IAMP) 50th anniversary convention in Effingham, Young said increased costs squeeze profit margins for association members.
“Most of our folks are in small towns and they are making products and selling them to their neighbors, and they want to make them as cost effective as possible,” Young said. “And that’s tough because the profitability lines keep shrinking because of those things.”
Meat processors like Dale Pfundstein, owner of The Butcher Shop in Sterling, are thinking outside of the box to utilize and market every piece of the market animal.
Pfundstein said they have had success selling beef bacon, cut from the brisket.
“We’re trying to get more into the carnivore diet,” he said. “People get tired of eating steak all the time, so then they’re looking for something different and beef bacon is a little bit different.”
He said the beef bacon is leaner than pork and they often slice more fat off after it is smoked.
“We take the point and cut it right down the center, so it’s not as thick and it’s more sliceable,” Pfundstein said.
He said processors also slow cook large pieces of fat to turn into tallow for cooking.
“If you go gather some essential oils and put that in the tallow then you can make salves and lotions,” he said, noting that the once discarded fat has become more valuable.
Newly elected IAMP President Henry “Buddy” Courdt with Raber Packing Co. in Peoria said events like the meat judging contest at the annual convention also help businesses improve products and think outside of the box.
“You get to bring your products that you make every day and compete against other plants in Illinois to see where your shortfalls are and what you’re good at,” Courdt said, noting that IAMP is a close-knit organization where members can learn from each other.
“If there’s somebody that’s making something and you want to know how to make it, if you approach them and ask them, they will probably tell you,” he said. “And then you can take that home and turn that into a product that you could sell to the consumer.”
This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.
