Senator Tammy Baldwin got a firsthand look at the issues facing smaller meat processors in the state when she went to visit Sailer’s Food Market in Elmwood.
“I think for the general public, who’s not immersed in this industry, we learned about how fragile the supply chain was regarding various agricultural products, but certainly in the meat processing arena,” Baldwin said. “A lot of the huge players had to close down, we saw culling of herds, that’s so unfortunate, it’s disheartening for the farmer and certainly has huge economic consequences too.”
She gave a big thanks to the smaller processors for keeping things running while others were temporarily closed.
After hearing from a few different processors, some told her how they have goals to expand, but they simply can’t afford it at the moment. For example, hiring additional employees, insurance for those workers, and not to mention construction prices at the moment. The expenses add up quickly.
Senator Baldwin spoke with processors from Sailer’s Food Market & Meat Processing, Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc, The Durand Smokehouse LLC, Falls Meat Service, and RJ’s Meats.
