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Changing times mean changing measures

The spread of the Covid-19 virus has caused us to make a few changes to the way we do business, as I’m sure it has affected the way your life works as well. Hopefully everyone is staying healthy as we work through this. At Usinger’s we have temporarily closed our retail store on Old World Third Street. This is for the protection of our customers and employees as it can get crowded in there. But have no fear our Sausage Kitchen and Smokehouses are busy producing sausages six days a week to keep up on shipments supplying grocery stores that proudly carry our products. You can also order directly from us online at usinger.com. You will find almost all our items in the Deli or Gift Store sections on our website. We will ship anywhere in the continental U.S. and that seems to be one of the preferred ways to receive food these days. Here’s to hoping summer is just around the corner and praying an end to this epidemic is too. Stay well and enjoy eating at home.

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Get Ready, Here it Comes

German Fest begins July 29 – 31 at Maier Festival Park on Milwaukee’s lakefront.  What a great time to experience German food, culture, music and yes a little beer. It’s like an Octoberfest warm up party.

We are proud to be a long time sponsor of Milwaukee’s German Fest and provider of many different types of sausage and meats served during the three day run.

You may want to try a German Fest favorite, the over-sized, October Fest Bratwurst or the spicy Smoked Bratwurst.  Then there is the Bavarian Wiener, Knackwurst or the Pork Links that are served with the potato pancakes. Or maybe you want the Smoked Pork Chops (Kassler Rippchen) that are smoked over glowing hard wood embers in our two story brick smokehouses. Don’t forget the Sauerkraut…. We make that too.

Hope to see you at the opening ceremonies.  Bring your appetite and we will see you there!

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Meet Usinger’s newest Master Meat Crafter – Josh Swart

The Master Meat Crafter Training Program is a unique, one-of-a-kind program that provides participants with a well-rounded, in-depth, and comprehensive knowledge about Meat science and meat processing principles. It also delivers development opportunities for future meat industry leaders, and helps to ensure the US meat industry remains strong and viable for years to come.

It is comprised several meat science short courses and workshops, an extensive mentorship program to share the knowledge gained with employees or coworkers, and individual research projects based in the candidates’ processing plants. Topics covered throughout the two year training course include general meat processing, fresh meats, curing, fermented & dried products, cooked & emulsified products, food safety & meat microbiology, and development/implementation of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).

Master Meat Crafter graduates set the Wisconsin meat industry apart as a leader in the nation. UW welcomes people from other states to come learn from their Master Meat Crafter Program.

This unique program had humble beginnings as a means to strengthen and improve the meat industry in Wisconsin. As the initiative gained momentum, the Master Meat Crafter brand has expanded as far as the east coast and Alberta, Canada. Upon status, each graduate will be able to exhibit their expertise and knowledge by use of the Master Meat Crafter logo on their product labels, signage, web presence, or personal branding.

The Master Meat Crafter Program has been developed in conjunction with the Specialty Meat Development Center and is supported by DATCP, University of Wisconsin Meat Science Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors.  The goals of the program are to:  1) provide participants with well rounded, in-depth, and comprehensive knowledge about meat science/meat processing principles, 2) provide development opportunities for the future meat industry leaders, and 3) help ensure the US meat industry remains strong and viable for years to come.  It was created and is currently organized by Dr. Jeff Sindelar, University of Wisconsin-Madison Associate Professor and Extension Meat Specialist.

Master Meat Crafter program is part of UW.

Congratulations Josh!

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Where Does Our Meat Come From?

In the era of “Bird Flu”, “Mad Cow”, and “Chronic Wasting”, people want to know where the food they’re eating comes from.

It’s a very good question, one that you should ask yourself, and one that I received recently.

Here at Usinger’s, we do not “harvest” animals, never have. We buy only the preferred cuts from USDA inspected packinghouses located in Wisconsin and other Midwestern states to make our sausages.

Because our suppliers are under continuous inspection by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS), they must comply with Federal Regulations related to animal welfare, animal health, proper sanitary conditions and that the entire process is conducted humanely. Federal Law requires that FSIS personnel be present during hours of operation at these establishments to validate compliance.

We have always believed in using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. We do not use imported frozen meat in any Usinger products. Fresh, Midwestern pork and beef that is delivered daily to our Third Street sausage kitchen is what you will find in our products. It’s the only way to make America’s finest sausage.