Wisconsin Welcomes Japanese Visitors

The Wisconsin Beef Council in partnership with the U.S. Meat Export Federation – a contractor to the Beef Checkoff – recently hosted a trade team of Japanese food-service representatives to showcase the diversity and quality of beef raised and processed in Wisconsin. The tour was funded through an Ag Export Initiative grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. It also had support through the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board.

On-farm visits helped the Japanese visitors understand the dedication to animal care, sustainability, production practices and genetics used by Wisconsin farmers. Tour hosts included Huth Polled Herefords and S&H Livestock Enterprises of Oakfield, Wisconsin. There guests experienced a cow-calf operation that produces top-notch registered-Hereford genetics. The operation focuses on crossbreeding Angus and Hereford cattle to produce high-marbling livestock for commercial use.

Ebert Enterprises near Algoma, Wisconsin, was the second farm visited. The team at Ebert’s includes family members Randy and Renee Ebert along with their children, Jordan and Whitney. They milk 4,200 cows in a rotary parlor. They are also crossbreeding the bottom half of the dairy herd to Angus and feeding those cattle out to enter the beef supply.

Visitors also toured several other locations.

• Wisconsin packers helped to increase visitor understanding of the type of cattle harvested and processed in the state, along with the range of products and beef quality grades available for export.
• Haen Meats is a full-service meat market that does custom slaughtering. It has a modern retail case featuring fresh, cured, and smoked meats and sausage products. Phil Schmidt, the owner, provided a tour of the harvest floor and cooler. He along with his staff broke down a half-carcass. Guests were interested in learning more about how to maximize underutilized cuts to reduce the amount of beef going into trim.
• American Foods Group’s plant in Green Bay showed harvest to fabrication of beef cuts. The visitors expressed great interest in variety meats – including tripe, tongue and liver. There was extensive focus on beef safety and inspection. Guests enjoyed meals at two area Green Bay restaurants that serve beef sourced from American Foods Group – Hagemeister Park and Chefusion.

Source: agupdate.com

Photo Credit: GettyImages-PamWalker68