Grandpas Meat Market emphasizes quality

BY BRIAN WILSON

THE STAR NEWS

Would you rather serve to your family, meat that was raised in inhumane feedlot conditions, processed half a continent away and shipped to retailers? Or would you prefer knowing that the chicken you are serving for Sunday dinner was raised near Rib Lake, or that the pork roast and steaks came hogs and beef raised near Stetsonville?

For Justin Thiel of Grandpas Meat Market in Medford, that answer is an easy one.

Thiel, 28, says many people have become more aware of where their food comes from and have been turned off by long supply chains and lack of transparency.

“We sell locally raised and processed beef and pork, from single cuts to a whole animal. Everything is hand cut and vacuum packaged. We cut each animal to order and don’t cut another one until it’s sold, keeping the meats as fresh as possible. We strive to use as much of the animal as possible to reduce waste and impact on our environment,” Thiel said, contrasting his business model to those of more factory-style processors.

Thiel has grown up around the meat processing business. His grandpa, David Heier, started butchering animals in the 1960s out of the home where Thiel currently lives. Over the years Heier built a strong business and quality reputation.

After graduating from Medford Area Senior High School in 2011, Thiel joined the U.S. Navy and began a 9 1/2 year career with the Navy working in information technology. After that time, he was ready for a change and after separating from the Navy last year, he came home to Medford and worked to take over his grandfather’s meat processing business. The timing worked well, as Thiel notes, because at the time his grandpa was looking toward retirement.