Brute strength yet finesse with a knife, brought up with tradition yet fueled by innovation, rough-handed yet revered—butchers have risen to rock star status in today’s food culture.

In conjunction with our 2015 Processor of the Year story, Andy Hanacek, editor-in-chief of The National Provisioner, traveled to Enid, Okla., to tour and visit AdvancePierre Foods’ Enterprise facility.

Pork Production is up 0.7% on an annual average basis, and the industry is in a period of accelerating growth.

Fresh sausages are one of the most popular types of processed meat.

Such factors as the versatility of ground meats in a wide range of recipes, the increasing popularity of ethnic meals that leverage ground meats and the typically lower prices of grinds compared with other protein cuts is bolstering consumer interest in the proteins.

According to a recent review, the average American consumes about 66 pounds of ground beef per year, and ground beef accounts for approximately 60 percent of total beef consumption.