Welcome to the Summer edition of the Nicholas Meat Quarterly! There’s much to celebrate as farmers and gardeners see new life emerge from spring planting and June Dairy Month is here.
We hope you enjoy this edition of the Nicholas Meat Quarterly. Please take a moment to read a very important article regarding the status of the Sustainable Resource Facility. Your support is appreciated.
Here’s a look at what else you’ll find in this edition:
Nicholas Meat is pleased to announce that the cattle barn is now officially in use! After breaking ground in 2022, Nicholas Meat has been working tirelessly to complete the cattle barn, which is focused on animal husbandry, food safety, sustainability and improving efficiencies. The completed barn can house up to 1,000 head of cattle and allows delivery of animals 24 hours a day.
“We’re very excited to be utilizing the new cattle barn,” said Duane Eichenlaub, Nicholas Meat Regulatory and Sustainability Manager. “The new barn expands our holding capability exponentially, which benefits farmers, cattle and Nicholas Meat alike. We have faster, more efficient unloading times, which means animals spend less time on the trailer. We also have a great amount of pen space within the facility to ensure animals remain calm and uncrowded.”
A big thank you for the positive comments we have heard from truck haulers and farmers alike that have had the opportunity to deliver to the new facility. “This is awesome and greatly appreciated by those who deliver cattle,” said one hauler. Another commented, “It’s a great improvement!” We appreciate the feedback and are thankful the new facility has been well received.
Unscheduled cattle delivers (i.e. by farmers or consigners) may arrive Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. All other cattle deliveries must be arranged by appointment.
“Here at Nicholas Meat, we believe that whatever we do today, we can do better tomorrow,” he added. “The new cattle barn is a demonstration of this mantra in that we are improving things today for our staff, for the animals, and for our customers. And, we have a line of sight on the future as the barn was designed to handle future operational capabilities for the foreseeable future.”
The new barn measures roughly 40,000 square feet and has 15 fans, each nine feet in diameter.
It’s time to fire up the grill—unless you’re one of the nearly 50 percent of people who grill year-round! Now that summer has officially started, many of us will be planning outdoor gatherings that have grilling as the center of attention. According to the 19th annual Power of Meat study, Americans average 13 grilling occasions between Memorial and Labor Day.
Of course, as we get ready to grill out, many people think hamburgers and hot dogs, but did you know that, according to USA Today, filet mignon is the meat of choice for Pennsylvanians when they fire up the grill? Whether you’re making a simple burger or grabbing your favorite cut of beef, it’s important to make sure your grill is up to par before throwing a big bash. Follow these simple steps to ensure a safe and stress-free cookout with family and friends.
Do a Safety Check. Has your grill been sitting for months without any use and perhaps exposed to the elements? It’s important to give your grill a once-over before starting it for the first time. If you have a gas grill, make sure the hose is attached correctly and check for leaks. Make sure your tank is also full. Nothing is more disappointing than to run out or not have enough gas when it is time to grill!
Clean Your Grill. After taking a winter hiatus, it’s a good idea to give your grill a deep clean. This should be done with a simple wire brush and water. Using soap on your grill could leave a taste on the grates that is difficult to wash off. Remember, it’s important to give all aspects of the grill a good scrub, including the grease trap. Pro Tip: Line the grease trap with aluminum foil once it’s clean for easy future clean-up!
Take a Test Run. Before you plan a big party, why not take your grill out for a test run? This will ensure you have everything clean and in working order. If using a gas grill, you will want to make sure all the burners work and, again, check for leaks in the hose.
Enjoy Yourself. Once you’ve done a safety check, cleaned the grill and taken it for a test run, it’s time to plan your party. Remember, the most important thing to do when grilling is to enjoy a great meal—that includes beef—and your time with family and friends. Be sure to visit our friends at the Pennsylvania Beef Council for recipes, grilling and nutrition information at www.pabeef.org. Have a wonderful summer grilling beef!
Position: Production Associate and Knife Sharpener
Employed by Nicholas Meat: 7 years
Best part of working at Nicholas Meat: I enjoy sharpening the knives so that it’s easier for other employees to do their job. I feel good when others tell me I’m doing a good job.
Favorite book, movie or musical artist: Musical artist Carin León.
In my spare time: I enjoy spending time with family and cooking out or playing soccer with my kids outside or at the park.
Favorite place to visit: Hersheypark
Most admired person: My parents. They worked incredibly hard building an amazing childhood and giving me an amazing life to live and enjoy.
How you like your steak: Tender from the grill.
Currently, construction of the Sustainability Resource Facility (SRF) is at a standstill. Unfortunately, the local Greene Township Supervisors are preventing this project from moving forward to completion.
What is the issue?
It is difficult for us to understand why the local supervisors have placed a roadblock to such a beneficial project for the community. Greene Township Supervisors have imposed an Improvement Guarantee (financial security) on Nicholas Meat for the SRF. We believe this is a misapplication of the subdivision and land development ordinance (SALDO). The SALDO is intended to protect the township and public entities in the event public improvement projects like subdivisions are not completed, thereby leaving the township with an unfunded public obligation.
The SRF is a private project being constructed on private property with private funding by a private business. The project poses no financial risk to the township.
In the highly unlikely event it is not completed, the Greene Township Board is on record saying they would not complete the project. Requiring an Improvement Guarantee before construction can continue is of no practical value to the township. It only adds significant and unnecessary costs to Nicholas Meat, and further delays the completion of the project intended to deliver the public and environmental benefits we all want to realize.
Can this be resolved?
The resolution to this is easy and clear for the Greene Township Supervisors.
As referenced in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), the requirement of an Improvement Guarantee on a private project as unique as the SRF is “unreasonable and …cause(s) undue hardship…” The MPC allows for relief from the strict application of ambiguous language found in the SALDO. We are asking the Greene Township Supervisors to reconsider the requirement of an Improvement Guarantee currently being asked of Nicholas Meat and grant relief in the form of a waiver identified in the provisions of both the MPC and the Greene Township SALDO which will allow the progression of the SRF.
If you want issues like smell and truck traffic to be addressed, you’ll lend your voice to supporting this call to action, too.
What are the benefits of the SRF?
The most important issue we know it will address for all those who live in the community is the smell. However, there are so many more benefits this facility will deliver. The SRF features award-winning waste-to-energy technology and an advanced water treatment facility. Once fully operational, the facility will help reduce truck traffic at Nicholas Meat, minimize odor, create renewable energy, decrease the company’s carbon footprint, capture greenhouse gases, and reuse water. Nicholas Meat has been fully committed to making this facility—the first of its kind in the U.S. meat industry—a reality. We share the community’s frustration that these benefits are not being realized with the completion of the SRF.
When do you expect the SRF to be completed?
Until we see a resolution from the Improvement Guarantee (financial security) imposed by the Greene Township Board of Supervisors, we cannot estimate a completion date.
To learn more about the Sustainable Resource Facility and what has been accomplished, please visit our website, www.nicholasmeat.com.
To celebrate May Beef Month and June Dairy Month, Nicholas Meat would like to buy you a cheeseburger! Head to the Twilight Diner (603 N. Mill Street, Loganton) and tell them your employee number to receive a complimentary 6 oz. cheeseburger. Only one cheeseburger per employee. The offer is good through June 22. Fries and drink not included.
At Nicholas Meat we are all about the beef! We hope you enjoy this recipe from the Pennsylvania Beef Council. Whip up your own beer-based barbecue sauce, then slather it on a perfectly prepared Ground Beef patty. Serve it all up in a “bun” of delicious Texas Toast.
Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Beef
½ c. beer or water
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. ketchup
1 T. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
4 slices frozen Texas Toast
2 spears pickled okra, sliced (optional)
1. To prepare barbecue sauce, combine beer, brown sugar, ketchup, chipotle peppers and Worcestershire sauce in saucepan; bring to a boil. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes until sauce is thickened; set aside.
Cooking:
English
French
Haitian Creole
Spanish