MEAT People

Brittany Moore and Lacey Bates review key meat industry updates, including FSIS’s expanded Listeria environmental sampling in ready-to-eat (RTE) establishments producing post-lethality exposed products. After a pilot in Raleigh, Chicago, and Alameda adding four environmental swabs (two food contact and two non-food contact), FSIS will expand sampling across all nine districts in phases starting January 2027 to improve early detection of sanitation deficiencies and areas where Listeria can persist; positives may trigger follow-up verification testing or food safety assessments. They also cover recent FSIS PHIS updates affecting noncompliance records (NRs), memos of interview (MOIs), and appeals, including new numbering for records created after September 18 and new functions such as requesting finalized versions after changes. Finally, they discuss Farm Bill 2.0 negotiations as the 2018 Farm Bill extension expires Sept. 30, noting MCOOL for beef as a key House-Senate difference.
 
Topics
01:07 Listeria Sampling Expansion
02:12 What FSIS Will Test
03:34 Impacts for RTE Plants
04:34 Rollout Timeline Prep
05:47 PHIS Updates Explained
07:10 New NR MOI Numbering
08:15 Farm Bill Deadline
09:36 MCOOL Policy Divide
10:48 What to Watch Next
11:44 Wrap Up and Resources

Neil interviews ABF Packings founders Jason Beyer and D.L. Funderburgh about how the Southwest Meat Association (SMA) helped them start ABF in the mid-1990s, learn processing, find markets, and later survive major setbacks like a plant fire by relying on members to keep products flowing during rebuilding. They describe starting with baby calves, expanding into heavier cattle, building their Dublin facility themselves without formal plans, and lessons learned (especially plumbing/drains) along with the critical importance of water supply (about 260 gallons per cow). They discuss HACCP’s impact and how SMA support and member expertise helped them implement programs and meet evolving “approved supplier” requirements. They address today’s high beef prices as cyclical with tight margins, emphasizing persistence, yield measurement down to thousandths of a percent, continuous improvement, and building a strong team. They highlight SMA’s scholarship auction raising about $150-160k, their “give back” mindset, and ABF’s related kettle-cook business producing soups, sauces, and queso for foodservice.
 
Visit us at https://southwestmeat.org/
 
Topics
01:02 Why SMA Matters
01:37 ABF Origins and Mentors
04:15 Building the Dublin Plant
06:19 From Calves to Cows
07:57 Water and Plant Basics
10:06 SMA Support and HACCP
12:16 High Beef Market Cycles
16:32 Scholarships and Giving Back
18:49 Sales and Customer Growth
23:03 Yield and Measurement Culture
27:19 Delegation and Programs
29:49 Family Sacrifices and Diversifying
35:46 Leadership and Trusting Teams
37:49 Final Thoughts and SMA Call

Brittany Moore and Lacey Bates introduce episode 2 of Meat Industry News, a biweekly 10–15 minute segment of the Meat People podcast, and cover four key updates. FSIS extended temporary overtime and holiday inspection fee reductions for eligible small (30%) and very small (75%) federally inspected meat, poultry, and egg product establishments through September 30, 2027, or until funding runs out; overtime inspection applies to services outside regular hours, with rates near $90/hour and holiday rates about $106/hour, and relief requires submitting FSIS Form 5200-16. USDA announced the Stand Up Program (up to $50 million) to help states establish or expand state meat inspection programs in partnership with FSIS; state programs must meet standards at least equal to federal requirements, but sales are generally limited within the state unless using Cooperative Interstate Shipment. The Senate Ag Committee advanced the Farm Bill 12–11, including language directing USDA and USTR to find a WTO-compliant path to reestablish mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef. Finally, cattle imports from Mexico resumed via Douglas, Arizona on Aug. 24 under a phased reopening after New World screwworm-related closures, with 580–850 head/day moving and heavier cattle (700–900 lbs), while Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico remain closed and future reopening depends on disease risk and progress under the joint action plan.
 
Visit us at https://southwestmeat.org/
 
Topics
01:10 FSIS fee relief extended
02:15 How overtime inspection works
03:19 How to apply for relief
04:06 USDA Stand Up program
05:46 State vs federal inspection
07:46 Farm Bill update
08:48 COOL language explained
09:59 Mexico cattle border update
10:59 Port capacity and outlook
12:28 Wrap-up and newsletter

Neil talks with Jason Hinds of Marcus Food Company (part of the SMA family) about his experience with the Southwest Meat Association, describing how he first attended a midyear meeting, was initially singled out for coming without family, and now his family looks forward to the annual meeting because of the community and referrals it generates. Hines shares his background in corporate travel management (including work tied to major accounts like Google and Smithfield) before entering meat sales, and explains Marcus’s trading model, his focus on beef trimmings, and the competitive realities of buying and selling truckloads to processors like hot dog and sausage makers. He highlights transparency, logistics challenges, and Marcus’s technology-driven cataloging of vendors as key advantages, then reflects on food, diet, and his East Texas upbringing, and closes with thoughts on internal change, professionalism in the industry, and his working relationship with Aaron Marks.
 
Visit us at https://southwestmeat.org/
Marcus Food Company: https://marcusfoodco.com/
 
Topics
01:30 Joining the SMA
03:02 Why SMA Matters
05:28 Meat Judging Origins
06:36 From Travel to Meat
08:23 Loving the Sales Life
10:03 Tattoos and Stories
12:24 How Meat Trading Works
15:07 Honesty as an Edge
16:08 Tech Powered Trading
17:46 Where Food Comes From
18:55 Convenience And Gratitude
20:05 Know Where Food Comes From
20:52 Simple Nutrition Rules
21:56 East Texas Food Memories
24:07 Country Childhood Adventures
25:27 Sales Frogs And Cold Calls
26:11 Freight Chaos And Fixes
28:07 Truckers Keep America Moving
28:53 SMA Shoutouts And Wrap
30:03 Aaron Marks And Company Dynamics
34:06 Industry Culture Then Now
34:46 Final Sign Off

The first installment of Meat Industry News reviews key U.S. policy and market developments. It discusses President Trump’s statement about expanding farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to process their own food, emphasizing that regulatory details and inspection implications are still unknown, and outlines current options (custom-exempt processing, building inspected facilities, or using inspected regional processors) plus how the PRIME Act could expand in-state direct-to-consumer sales while raising questions about inspection and retail acceptance. The episode highlights food safety, traceability, and consumer trust concerns tied to deregulation and notes that processing is only one part of building a profitable beef business. It also covers a temporary tariff waiver for 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef (100,000 per month Sept. 1–Nov. 30 through 2026), its limited market scale, expected effects mainly on ground beef, and logistics/FSIS re-inspection. USDA updates include the Ranchers First initiative’s BRAND livestock risk protection to encourage heifer retention, SPUR support and a new guaranteed loan concept for small/regional processors, and potential institutional purchasing opportunities for locally processed beef.
 
Visit us at https://southwestmeat.org/
 
Topics
00:57 Trump Processing Proposal
01:49 Current Processing Options
03:13 PRIME Act Explained
04:19 Food Safety and Trust
05:31 Profitability Realities
06:23 Tariff Waiver Imports
07:30 Market Size Context
08:33 Price Effects by Cut
09:51 Import Logistics and Suppliers
11:06 Ranchers First BRAND
12:17 Why Herd Rebuild Takes Time
13:04 SPUR Support and Loans
14:48 Institutional Buying Opportunities
16:02 What to Watch Next
17:14 Wrap Up and Disclaimers

Neil interviews Colby DeFriese, plant manager at Smokey Denmark Sausage in Austin, Texas, after his business card was drawn at the convention. DeFriese discusses the space and capacity limits of the early-’70s East Fifth Street facility and plans to relocate to Georgetown in the next couple years. He shares the company’s history (founded by Albert C. “Smokey” Denmark; first building in 1969; this plant built in 1972) and current ownership by Jonathan and Melissa Pace. He describes retail growth, including entry into H-E-B around COVID and the shift toward a more balanced retail/wholesale mix. DeFriese explains how Tex-Mex influences drive product innovation and how Best of the Worst competition items can become market successes; Smokey Denmark has won four times. He covers his background (H-E-B, BPI, Seaboard, A&M), responsibilities spanning production, QA, and HACCP, and the importance of USDA relationships, transparency, and culture. 
 
Find us at https://southwestmeat.org/
Find Colby at https://www.smokeydenmark.com/
SMA StartKleen Dove Hunt 
Friday Oct. 2, 2026 - Saturday October 3, 2026 
Copper Ridge Ranch
Nocona, Texas
Visit southwestmeat.org to register. 
Topics
00:23 Meet Colby DeFriese
01:20 Inside Austin Plant
01:56 Georgetown Move Plans
02:34 Smokey Denmark Origins
03:38 COVID Growth Surge
04:30 Best of the Worst Wins
05:06 Why SMA Matters
06:58 Building Your Network
09:00 Career Path in Meat
12:22 R&D and New Recipes
16:47 HACCP and Compliance
18:58 Food Safety Spotlight
20:18 City Consumer Disconnect
21:20 Transparency In Processing
22:56 Culture Makes Quality
23:17 Proteins And Product Claims
25:27 Ingredient Label Reality
26:49 Managing Cost Volatility
29:15 COVID Pivot Retail Wholesale
31:09 Raising The Next Generation
36:16 Personality And Leadership
38:06 Ideal Customers Barbecue
40:25 Smoky Denmark Origin Story
42:37 Visionary Integrator Dynamic
44:08 Wrap Up And Call To Action

Hosts Brittany Moore and Lacy Bates welcome SMA summer intern Meredith Magliolo to the Meat People Podcast to discuss her background, college life, and convention experience. Meredith, a junior agribusiness major at Texas A&M from Schulenburg, Texas, grew up in her family’s meat business, Willie Joe’s Processing, which does custom, deer, and retail processing. She shares lessons on hard work from her parents, her favorite ag economics classes and mentor Dr. Mendes, and a Scotland agriculture study abroad. Meredith describes receiving an SMA Foundation scholarship in honor of Cecelia Railey and what it meant to meet her after Railey’s Hall of Honor induction, emphasizing donor impact. She outlines her internship work on convention signage, social media reels, and logistics, highlighting the welcoming SMA culture, networking, and favorite convention event, Best of the Worst. Meredith encourages students to pursue internships, build connections, and stay open-minded about careers in the meat industry.
 
Topics
01:49 Meredith Basics and A&M
02:47 Choosing Agribusiness Path
04:34 Hobbies and Fun Facts
05:56 Family Processing Business
07:46 Lessons From the Plant
09:30 College Favorites and Mentors
10:49 Study Abroad Scotland
11:59 College Challenges and Advice
14:13 SMA Scholarship Story
16:41 Cecilia Raley Connection
18:20 Internship How It Started
21:24 First Day Nerves and Culture
23:01 Day to Day Intern Work
23:54 Projects Skills and Reels
26:42 Working With SMA Team
26:47 Office Culture Fit
27:15 Intern Funny Moments
28:39 Convention First Impressions
30:09 Best of the Worst
30:59 Convention Rewards Challenges
33:00 Steps and Soreness
34:03 Scholarship to Intern
35:21 Post Graduation Plans
36:12 Why Apply to SMA
36:58 Rapid Fire Favorites
42:17 Advice for Students
44:22 Internship in Three Words
45:27 Closing Thanks and Wrap
 

Neil interviews David Englutt about his life, singing, sales career, and long involvement with the Southwest Meat Association (SMA). Englutt describes gaining confidence singing classic country and Western swing (Ray Price, Johnny Bush, Faron Young, Bob Wills) and appearing with the Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest, including a March showcase in Wichita Falls. He outlines his career path from Tarleton State—where he joined activities, discovered meat judging, and won a national championship—into Cargill as its first pork-division management trainee, helping start plants in Beardstown, Illinois and Ottumwa, Iowa, then moving through Smithfield/Gwaltney, Jimmy Dean/Sara Lee, and into equipment and packaging sales before joining Townsend Engineering and later Morrell, which was acquired by JBT. Englutt shares customer-retention keys (integrity, product knowledge, consistency), a sales process acronym “PATTERN,” and emphasizes relationship-building. He recalls his first SMA convention in San Antonio and serving multiple terms on the board, describing SMA as a supportive, family-like community.
SMA StartKleen Dove Hunt 
Friday Oct. 2, 2026 - Saturday October 3, 2026 
Copper Ridge Ranch
Nocona, Texas
Visit www.southwestmeat.org to register. 
 
Links
https://jbtmarel.com/
https://southwestmeat.org/
 
Topics
01:24 How Singing Started
03:00 Old School Country Tales
04:08 What He Does Today
04:42 Mergers and Growth
05:40 Keeping Customers
07:07 Meat Judging Roots
08:11 Getting Involved Early
10:48 Cargill Career Break
13:59 Smithfield and Tar Heel
15:16 Learning to Sell
19:14 Sales Process Pattern
21:37 First SMA Convention
24:59 SMA Family Culture
26:28 Final Thanks and Wrap

Brittany Moore and Lacy Bates kick off a new twice-yearly Meat People podcast recap series by reviewing the 70th SMA Annual Convention and Supplier Showcase at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas, with about 532 attendees. They highlight student workers; board updates, and major events such as the Bob Andusek Memorial Golf Tournament (about 110 golfers) that raised $16,860. Friday featured education sessions, scholarship research presentations, and policy updates and a record 92-company Supplier Showcase. The Surfin’ USA dinner and auctions raised roughly $73,000 for scholarships, contributing to $171,000 awarded across 50 scholarships, and Hall of Honor inductees included Ray and Donna Kimbrell and Cecilia Raley. They announce the first podcast guest raffle winner and share dates for the 71st convention, July 28–31, 2027 in Bastrop, Texas.
 
00:00 Welcome and New Recaps
02:02 Galveston Venue Overview
02:58 Wednesday Student Crew
04:50 Registration and Reception
05:49 Board Meeting Updates
07:27 Golf and Mosquitoes
11:39 Thursday Night Music
13:21 Friday General Session
19:30 Best of the Wurst
24:40 Supplier Showcase Record
27:27 Surfin USA Dinner Theme
29:27 Heads or Tails Game
30:47 Auction Night Highlights
31:03 Auction Bidding Drama
31:45 Record Scholarship Fundraiser
32:48 Coffee With Mindy
34:04 Saturday Speaker Highlights
35:15 Gen Z Talent Panel
37:11 AI Takes The Stage
37:55 Poolside Member Hangout
39:00 Scholarships And Awards
40:32 Hall Of Honor Stories
42:43 Dance Floor Finale
44:02 Rapid Fire Recap
46:42 Behind The Scenes Fixes
48:42 Why Convention Matters
53:18 Favorite Moments Picks
58:50 Podcast Raffle Winner
01:00:13 Final Thanks And Next Year

Neil interviews Eddie Behrends, who grew up in Fredericksburg, Texas and now lives on his wife’s fifth-generation ranch in New Mexico while raising three children involved in FFA and showing cattle. Behrends, executive manager of New Mexico’s State Meat and Poultry Inspection, explains the state’s effort to bring back state inspection to support ranchers, build a meat culture, and expand processing avenues; he says state programs must be at least equal to USDA standards, follow nine required components, and the key limitation is not selling across state lines. He recounts a career shaped by meats judging and education, running meat labs at Texas Tech and Colorado State, working at BPI/Empirical Foods, deer processing and sausage production at Hudson Sausage, San Angelo Packing, retail leadership at H-E-B, and returning to Angelo State, emphasizing mentorship, connections through SMA, and giving back.
 
Visit southwestmeat.org/
 
Topics
00:46 Ranch Roots and Legacy
02:27 Raising Kids Ranching
04:16 Why the Meat Forum
04:21 Building State Inspection
10:09 USDA vs State Programs
15:05 Career Path in Meat Science
16:03 Pink Slime Explained
18:23 Words Shape Perception
18:35 Facing Uncertainty
20:24 Early Meat Industry Stops
20:43 Deer Processing in Austin
21:35 QA Manager to H-E-B
23:20 Undercover Meat Cutter
24:02 Market Manager Challenges
24:46 Back to Teaching Meat Lab
25:20 Scholarships and Mentorship
28:28 Music and Being Yourself
29:50 Comparison and Encouragement
32:37 Career Opportunities and Faith
34:07 Give Back and Wrap Up