Discover Wisconsin focuses on
Wisconsin's specialty meats industry

In an upcoming episode of Discover Wisconsin, viewers get an opportunity to take a much deeper look into Wisconsin's specialty meats industry and the impact it has not only on the state's diet, but also its economy.

The episode is a collaborative effort between the Wisconsin Beef Council, the Wisconsin Pork Association, the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors, the Specialty Meat Development Center, and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).

"Discovering Wisconsin's Specialty Meats" will air Saturday, Jan. 12, and Sunday, Jan. 13, on the Discover Wisconsin broadcast network, reaching 250,000 viewers across the upper Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Northern Illinois and Upper Michigan.

"Developing the show was a great learning experience," said John Freitag, executive director of Wisconsin Beef Council, Inc. "Each organization has a different perspective, and we trusted the Discover Wisconsin production team to interpret our messages and fit them together into this half-hour program."

In Wisconsin, dairy gets a lot of well-deserved attention, but this episode of Discover Wisconsin hopes to inform viewers of how important meat processing is to the state as well.

"Beef is as vibrant and important as dairy is," added Freitag, himself a former dairy and beef producer.

Jeff Swenson, DATCP's Livestock and Meat Specialist added, "It's important for consumers to see that farmers really do produce food. They're real people and our meat processors are true craftsmen." A DATCP release reports that over 88,000 jobs are created, directly and indirectly, by Wisconsin's $12.3 billion meat industry.

In the episode, host Emmy Fink takes viewers to Roth Feeder Pigs in Clark County and Woodhill Farms in Vernon County to learn about raising livestock.

She also tours Lake Geneva Country Meats in Lake Geneva and Haen Meat Packing in Kaukauna, where viewers will learn about meat processing.

Discover Wisconsin can be seen statewide on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m on Fox Sports North.

For more on this and other episodes or the broadcast network, visit discoverwisconsin.com.

To learn more about specialty meat processors near you, go to datcpgis.wi.gov/SpecialtyMeats.