WAUPACA COUNTY POST

May 15, 2003

 

Specialty meats store opens on Main Street

 

            Northwoods Sausage has opened a new store in downtown Waupaca.

            Located in what used to be Jerry’s Boot and Shoe Rebuilders on 106 Water Street, the new store offers 15 kinds of brats, snack sticks, summer sausage, buffalo steaks and jerky, smoked turkey drumsticks and assorted specialty meat products that are processed at the Northwoods Sausage plant, located in Ogdensburg.

            The Northwoods Sausage plant has been in operation for about five years and is perhaps best known to area hunters.  In addition to processing custom meat products for retail sales, Northwoods Sausage processes venison and wild game.

            The store, which opened about four weeks ago, is managed by Sandy Lemke.  Other members of her family can be seen working there as well.

            “It’s a better quality of meat,” according to Randy Lemke.  “We use pure pork shoulders in the brats.  Most places use trim.”

            Among the various kinds of brats offered by Northwoods Sausage are German, Polish, beer and onion, and taco brats, made with Mexican seasonings.

            Crystal Lemke notes that the beef snack sticks come in two varieties, “Hot Rod” and “Nitros”.

            “The Nitros are really hot,” Crystal said.

            Northwoods Sausage also offers venison and buffalo steaks.  The venison, Crystal said, comes from state-inspected Sika deer raised on a farm near Manawa.  The Buffalo comes from another farm near Ogdensburg.

            The store also stocks private-label marinades and barbecue sauces.  And for its four-legged customers, there are smoke bones.

            “Dogs go crazy for them,” Crystal said.  The Northwoods Sausage store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.