by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
St. Joseph Meat Market owner Harvey Pfannenstein said he was shocked to have been chosen to receive the “Outstanding Service Award” at the 76th annual convention of the Minnesota Association of Meat Processors.
He said the prestigious award has only been given three times before, and he is the fourth person to receive it.
“It was a very humbling experience,” Pfannenstein said.
The award is given to current and active members who go above and beyond to educate and serve MAMP as an association.
The meat market joined the association in the late 1970s and has been a member ever since.
Pfannenstein was elected to the board of directors in 2003 and is currently serving his fifth term on the board. He was president in 2010 and 2011.
Since 2013, Pfannenstein and the meat market, along with the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, has hosted a pre-convention workshop.
Ryan Cox, an associate professor of meat science from the university’s department of animal science, discussed what to do and not to do to get good bacon and how to use thyme at this year’s workshop. Other speakers included Jeff Sindelar, University of Wisconsin Extension meat specialist, and Mike Roach from Hormel Foods.
John Christensen, from Erdman’s Country Market in Kasson, also hosted a brat-making competition. That meat market placed second in the competition.
Pfannenstein said the St. Joseph Meat Market employees produce about 1,000 pounds of brats each week. When grilling season begins, they often produce about 2,000 pounds each week.
Employees of the meat market also brought home a few other awards at the MAMP convention held the first week of March at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud.
Four $1,000 scholarships were again awarded from MAMP this year. Pfannenstein’s goddaughter, Clare Pfannenstein, received one of those scholarships. She is the daughter of Pat and Joan Pfannenstein.
The awards included grand champion awards for their wild-rice brats and no-tang summer sausage; reserve grand champion awards for their onion-cheddar snack sticks, dried-beef and chorizo chicken brats; and champion awards for their smoked chicken, smoked turkey and smoked maple breakfast links.
“It was another great success,” Pfannenstein said of this year’s convention.
Pfannenstein has been the owner of the meat market since 1997, after taking over his father’s business. He began working at the meat market when he was 12 years old, alongside other family members.
Pfannenstein employs 30 workers, but hires additional people during deer-hunting and Christmas seasons.
He is married to Carol, and they have five children and 13 grandchildren.
Seventy-three operators attended the March MAMP convention. Sixty-three supplier members attended with 86 booths. There were 29 plants that entered a total of 464 products in the show.
Harvey Pfannenstein is shown with his wife, Carol, after receiving the “Outstanding Service Award” this year at the annual convention of the Minnesota Association of Meat Processors held March 3-5 at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. The award is given to current and active members who go above and beyond to educate and serve MAMP as an association.
The St. Joseph Meat Market won eight production show awards this year at the annual convention of the Minnesota Association of Meat Processors held March 3-5 at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. Pictured are (left to right) Dan Pfannenstein, Alice Mayers, Virginia Pfannenstein, Jesse Stueve, Carol Pfannenstein, Roger Rudnicki, Harvey Pfannenstein, Cy Pfannenstein, Janet Pfannenstein and Rich Pfannenstein.
