Meat processors learn, earn awards at Havre convention

Meat processors from around the state were in Havre last week while the Montana Meat Processors Association held it's 32nd annual convention in Havre.

Big Sandy Meat Shop LLC owner and convention sponsor Jim Dumas said that the last time the convention was held in Havre was in 1999, with Rocky Mountain Packing Company being the host shortly before the company closed its Havre store 2003.   

"So, being able to be the one to bring it back here was pretty cool," Dumas said.

More than 40 different meat processing plants from across Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington state attended the convention, with events and seminars starting Thursday and ending Sunday morning.

Dumas said that the convention had a good turnout of processors, vendors and meat scientists attending. He added that, in the past, they have had smaller and larger conventions, but, overall, he was happy with the turnout.

The convention had a wide range of seminars for producers to attend, such as seminars regarding chronic wasting disease, how to improve jerky, knife sharpening and the University of Idaho discussing their new facility. Northern Agricultural Research Center of Montana State University also lead a tour of the facility for producers as well as holding a few seminars on what research was being conducted at the center.

Dumas said that he learned something from every one of the seminars. The education available through the association is one of the main reasons he first became a part of the Montana Meat Processors Association when he first opened his business, he said. He added that he has been born and raised in the Big Sandy area and wanted to utilize all the resources available to him to improve his business.

The Montana Meat Processors Association conventions are a way for processors and plants to utilize tools and information to benefit their businesses as well as the industry as a whole, he said.

Montana Meat Processors Association President Jeremy Plummer said that he also enjoyed the educational seminars. All the seminars were good, he said, and it is hard to pick one which is better than the others. He added that they were all are very unique in their own way and bring something different for each processor to learn.

"I got a big stack of notes from every single one," Plummer said. "... I mean I got something from each that does something different for my business, so they are all equally as important, I would say."

The convention is for members to be proactive in trying to stay ahead of the game and educate themselves on new regulations and equipment available, he said.

One seminar specifically addressed educating processors on new regulations set up by the state and federal inspectors, he said. Processors can use the class to beginning to work on what inspectors are expecting and collaborate with other processors to keep safe products within the state.

"As Montana meat processors we all stick together and try to better ourselves," he said. "It's us and our members that make each other better."

Dumas said that something he thought was a huge benefit to the association this year was the tour and the seminars lead by NARC.

"A lot of them weren't even aware that we even had a facility like that," he said, adding that there were many processors throughout the state who had no idea was available through NARC and what the research center did.

By utilizing what is available in the state, processors can work toward improving their products and create or maintain relationships with vendors and other plants.

"You can take something away from everything," Dumas said. "There is always something new, always one little thing that improves what you do."

Plummer said that he liked the seminars but the main thing to him was the comaraderie. He said many of the processors who are part of the association feel like extended family, new and old members, and they can all learn something from one another.

He added that vendors and members of the association went on a trap shoot Saturday at the Havre trap range, even though it was raining. Plummer said they had a good time and was a nice break for people to just cut loose and enjoy each others company.

Although a few members and vendors left early, to avoid the winter storm Sunday, the banquet Saturday evening was a success, he said. At the banquet the association also awards the winners of it's cured meats competition. He added that the competition was separated into 21 classes open and the association awarded the top four in each category.

Dumas said that this year saw more than 300 different entries.

Plummer said he was pleased to see some new plants and other plants were able to work their way to the top of each category.

"It just shows that what we are doing is working," he said. "They are learning and improving. We call it a competition, but it is more of an education to have your products critiqued."

At the banquet, two local businesses were also welcomed into the association, Bear Paw Meats, located in both Havre and Chinook, and North Country Meats in Havre.

Plummer said that next years show will be in Polson and that he and his wife, Janelle, are already planning for the event.

"I can't wait until next year," Plummer said.

First place winners of the cured meat competition:

Commercial ham - Haun's Meat & Sausage from Walla Walla, Washington

Commercial bacon - Don's Country Smokehouse from Kalispell

Summer/Salami sausage - Ryan's Processing Plant from Jordan

Specialty summer/Salami sausage - Ryan's Processing Plant

Jerky (whole muscle) - Project Meats from Billings

Jerky (chopped formed) - Ryan's Processing Plant

Smoked turkey - Project Meats

Flavored pork belly bacon - Project Meats

Specialty bacon - Haun's Meat & Sausage

Specialty ham - Haun's Meat & Sausage

Specialty item (restructured) - Lower Valley Processing Co. of Kalispell

Specialty item (whole muscle) - Matt's Old Fashioned Butcher Shop & Deli from Livingston

Fresh sausage (bulk) - Superior Meats Inc. from Superior

Fresh sausage (cased) - Big Sandy Meat Shop LLC of Big Sandy

Polish sausage - Lower Valley Processing Co.

Meat snack stick - Ryan's Processing Plant

Specialty meat snack stick - Pay-N-Save Groceries and Meat Market from Saco

Small diameter cooked sausage - Pigtail Pork from Cove, Oregon

Specialty small diameter cooked sausage - Superior Meats Inc.

Innovative all beef category (sponsored by the Montana Beef Council) - Daniels Gourmet Meats and Sausage from Bozeman

Innovative all pork category (sponsored by the Montana Pork Council) - Daniels Gourmet Meats and Sausage

Best product of show - Lower Valley Processing Co. for their Polish sausage

Best plant award - Ryan's Processing Plant