Food and Agricultural Products Center marks second anniversary of Cowboy Meats retail store
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Media Contact: Emma Grace Nowotny | Food and Agricultural Products Center Communications Services | 405-744-0442 | emma.grace.nowotny@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center will celebrate the Cowboy Meats Retail Store’s second anniversary from 1-5 p.m. on Aug. 23.
Cowboy Meats is the meat processing facility at the Food and Agricultural Products Center. In 2022, Joel Jackson, Food and Agricultural Products Center meat pilot plant manager, accomplished his goal of opening the Cowboy Meats Retail Store. The shop is open to the public from 1-5 p.m. every Friday on Dock 4 of the Food and Agricultural Products Center.
“The Cowboy Meats Retail Store has become an integral part of the meat processing activities at the Food and Agricultural Products Center as beef, pork and lamb products are regularly produced from meat science and evaluation courses, meat judging contests, workshops and demonstrations,” Jackson said. “In the past two years, the retail store has grown in the OSU and Stillwater communities and provides many benefits in fulfilling its initial goal to minimize wasted product and cover expenses.”
Cowboy Meats offers a variety of locally processed meats including beef, pork, lamb and value-added products. It is a student-operated meat processing plant where student employees assist with harvest, fabrication, further processed products (such as smoked sausages, bacon and boudin), packaging, labeling, marketing and sales.
“In addition to traditional meat processing, students learn about the retail environment, merchandising and customer service,” Jackson said. “Proceeds from retail sales are used to fund student employment and reimburse most of the livestock expenses.”
Cowboy Meats reflects the Food and Agricultural Products Center’s vision to support and assist Oklahoma’s food and agricultural business sector. The Cowboy Meats Retail Store features a selection of rotating items produced by the facility’s clients and Industry Advisory Committee members, showcasing a diverse set of local products.
“Cowboy Meats is an excellent platform to showcase how the Food and Agricultural Products Center supports Oklahoma food companies and highlights their stories to increase awareness about Made in Oklahoma products,” said Andrea Graves, Food and Agricultural Products Center business planning and marketing specialist. “Due to limited shelf space in the Cowboy Meats Retail Store, a rotational system was implemented to give customers a more diverse set of featured products.”
Select Cowboy Meats retail products are available for student purchase at the 1890 Market in the Central Market Place on campus. For students looking for a snack, on-the-go Cowboy Meats beef sticks are available in the Agricultural Hall Dairy Bar and the Emond Low Library Café Libro.
The Cowboy Meats Retail Store is on the northwest corner of the Food and Agricultural Products Center at Dock 4. Free temporary parking in the dock area is available to all customers. The Cowboy Meats Retail Store only accepts checks and credit cards. For more information, call 405-744-MEAT.