MEAT+POULTRY 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 view of Mark Putney, director of business development.

Putney explains the benefits of the platform for producers and how it can be a year-round outlet for them to sell their meat.

He describes working with customers and farmers to ensure Chop Local to provide meat to consumers who value locally produced products.

Putney lays out the 2023 strategy for Chop Local and how it hopes to grow around its headquarters in Iowa and other states and businesses with USDA inspection.

He also explains what Chop Local hopes to accomplish in 2023 and its plans for growing the platform across rural communities in the United States.

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 highlighted the importance of exhibitor participation and educational programs at the show including TECHTalks.

Morris mentioned that international registrants have made a comeback at this year’s IPPE after travel restrictions and the Omicron variant spreading in January 2022 decreased attendance by about 30%.

He also discussed the value of having three integrated trade shows at the same time with USPOULTRY, NAMI and the American Feed Industry Association.

Near the end of the conversation, Morris described how he’s seen industry shows change since COVID-19 and how important they’ve become as meeting points for poultry and others working in the meat industry.

Make sure to check out MEAT+POULTRY 2023 Processor’s Handbook before heading to the show.

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 this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Derek Figueroa, chief executive officer of Seattle Fish Co., dives into a discussion about the acquisition and what it means for the two companies going forward.

Figueroa then shares about how important it is to keep local connections for Lombardi and Seattle Fish even when they try to expand products nationally.

Later on, Figueroa discusses how being in Denver is crucial to growing the brand of Seattle Fish and Lombardi.

Seattle Fish Co. is a third-generation family-owned company based in Colorado, making fresh seafood available to the Rocky Mountain area. Armanda Agra, which is part of the venture capital group Founders, has locations in Reno Nev., Carson City, Nev., and Seattle.

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 this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Derek Figueroa, chief executive officer of Seattle Fish Co., dives into a discussion about the acquisition and what it means for the two companies going forward.

Figueroa then shares about how important it is to keep local connections for Lombardi and Seattle Fish even when they try to expand products nationally.

Later on, Figueroa discusses how being in Denver is crucial to growing the brand of Seattle Fish and Lombardi.

Seattle Fish Co. is a third-generation family-owned company based in Colorado, making fresh seafood available to the Rocky Mountain area. Armanda Agra, which is part of the venture capital group Founders, has locations in Reno Nev., Carson City, Nev., and Seattle.

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 cuts and products that Farmer Focus has used to try to appeal to consumers as they figure out how to celebrate the holidays during inflation.

Saylor examines what the marketplace will look like for the poultry industry in 2023.

He then shares what Farmer Focus monitors regarding its organic and claims-based meats and how the company continues expanding to more East Coast stores.

The discussion turns to how Farmer Focus and others balance e-commerce shopping with the traditional retail experience that still dominates the landscape.

Near the end, Saylor shares a little about how he got started with Farmer Focus and how he’s adapted his skillset to various brands throughout his career.

For more information on Farmer Focus, make sure to listen to a previous podcast with Corwin Heatwole, founder and chief executive officer of the company.

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 cuts and products that Farmer Focus has used to try to appeal to consumers as they figure out how to celebrate the holidays during inflation.

Saylor examines what the marketplace will look like for the poultry industry in 2023.

He then shares what Farmer Focus monitors regarding its organic and claims-based meats and how the company continues expanding to more East Coast stores.

The discussion turns to how Farmer Focus and others balance e-commerce shopping with the traditional retail experience that still dominates the landscape.

Near the end, Saylor shares a little about how he got started with Farmer Focus and how he’s adapted his skillset to various brands throughout his career.

For more information on Farmer Focus, make sure to listen to a previous podcast with Corwin Heatwole, founder and chief executive officer of the company.

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 MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Lorenza Pasetti, the third-generation chief executive officer of Volpi, shared how the company continues to stick to its roots while also embracing new technology in its four processing plants that address packaging waste, management and food safety.

Pasetti went through the history of Volpi and how she feels like a steward for this generation of the business. She also explains the advantages of being in the middle of the country when the business has grown into national distribution.

Later in the conversation, Pasetti paints a picture of its original retail store that dates back to the early 1900s.

For more details on the Volpi business, check out the 2019 MEAT+POULTRY profile of Pasetti and the specialty meat operation.

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, shared some of her thoughts on the meat snack business and how the family-owned company has established itself as a brand.

Kaney reflects on taking over the operation at a young age and how she’s continued to grow it during the last 15 years.

Kaney also describes the role athletic activities played in her life and how that helped connect to a new market of customers.

Along with the production facility, Cattaneo Bros. also operates a retail location called The Mercantile, near the plant.

She also discusses the company’s strategy for expanding retail stores, mainly around the West Coast.

The podcast finishes with Katelyn explaining the online strategy for Cattaneo and how it expects to grow in the future.

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 of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, we talked with Dan Halstrom, president and chief executive officer for USMEF on what this mission meant for his group and their Japanese counterparts.

Near the beginning of the episode, Halstrom looked back at the historical perspective of working with Japan and what it meant to the growth of USMEF.

Later, Halstrom explained some of the activities US representatives could participate in that showcased American red meat and provided an overview of factors impacting demand for red meat in Japan.

He also shared what it meant to have delegates from various sectors of the US agriculture industry up and down the red meat supply chain.

Near the end, Dan gives some general thoughts on what the export market looks like for 2022.

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 science, and Derico Setyabrata, assistant professor of meat science and muscle biology, discussed what their efforts to develop the beef industry in Fayetteville.

Vierck described some basics about the University of Arkansas’ relationship with the Arkansas Beef Council and how it hopes to help add more small beef processors in the future.

After going over the college’s approach to research, Setyabrata discussed his project, where he will use meat microbiomes to predict beef quality and shelf life.

Vierck’s also discussed her latest project, experimenting with factors that affect palatability improvements and eating experiences with beef.