Meat-processing help trimmed

Lynn Grooms
Aug 16, 2021
Aug 16, 2021

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Randy Romanski and Mike Riechers with meat cooler

Randy Romanski, left, secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, visits with Mike Riechers of Riechers Meat Processing in South Wayne, Wisconsin. Labor shortages and input costs are the biggest challenges that smaller-scale meat processors face, Riechers says.

Lynn Grooms/Agri-View

The Natural Harvest crew at Prem Meats processes locally raised beef. 'We've been busy trying to keep pace with demand and are scheduling appointments two years out,' said Marty Prem, owner of the company based in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

Contributed

Team at Riechers Meat with Randy Romanski

Riechers Meat Processing is a family business that provides custom meat-processing services. Front row from left are Ed Wedig, Carmen Riechers and Bradley Riechers. Back row from left are Danny Bald, Amy Herbst, Mike Riechers, Colton Riechers, Randy Romanski -- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary-Designee -- and Donna Flannery.

Lynn Grooms/Agri-View

Mike Riechers and Randy Romanski talking

Mike Riechers, left, and Randy Romanski discuss the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program, which enables state-inspected meat establishments to operate as federally inspected facilities with specific conditions. The program enables meat processors to ship product across state lines. Wisconsin is one of only eight states in the country to be part of the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program.

Lynn Grooms/Agri-View

Lynn Grooms

With Wisconsin’s 2021-2023 budget signed in July, the state’s meat industry learned $200,000 will be allocated in each of the next two years for a meat-processor grant program. The legislature approved investment in four new state-meat-inspector positions. But no funding was approved for a meat-talent-development grant program. The budget announcement brought differing responses.

Lynn Grooms writes about the diversity of agriculture, including the industry’s newest ideas, research and technologies as a staff reporter for Agri-View based in Wisconsin.