Company Background
 In 1978 the Hamm family of rural Mauston built a meat
processing plant to accommodate local livestock
producers and sell products using their time tested
family recipes. In 1989 the business was sold while
operating at full capacity and the Hamm family set its
sites on building a new processing plant. A partner
agreement was formed between John D. Hamm, his wife
Diane, and former employee David A. Mauer.
John and Dave started this business in 1990. They didn’t
have any capital to draw on and both worked full time at
Coloma Meats and Provisions as salesmen. They started by
processing deer during the hunting season out of John’s
garage and hauling skinned out beef hides 75 miles to a
tanning facility.
Looking at the corn field next to the garage they thought
“if we build it they will come”. By 1993 a small 2,000
square foot processing plant was built and the name
Wisconsin River Meats was decided on due to the
proximity of the river and lake. There have been
subsequent additions to the plant over the last few
years including a recent large scale renovation. Now the
plant is over 8,000 square feet and is equipped with the
latest in meat processing technology. We have over 20
full time year-round employees and grow up to 35 full
time employees during Holidays and the Wisconsin wild
game hunting season.
Our mission now is "to produce quality, safe, and fun food
products; and to market them effectively so you can
enjoy them!"
Wisconsin River Meats is located in the
beautiful Wisconsin River valley, near Castle Rock Lake,
in rural Mauston. Production includes manufacturing of
specialty
sausages, fresh and smoked meats,
custom processing,
catering to special events
and wild game processing.
Wisconsin River Meats serves retail,
custom processing, wholesale and catering customers
throughout Wisconsin and now with our new web site can
serve customers throughout the continental United
States.
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Meat Specialties
Wisconsin River Meats
custom processes beef, pork and other species for
farmers and livestock producers throughout Wisconsin.
Sportsmen throughout Wisconsin and the upper Midwest
also recognize Wisconsin River Meats as
one of the leading game processors in the State. We
process deer all year round and make many varieties of
our great tasting venison sausages. We also process elk,
moose, buffalo, caribou, antelope and bear for sportsmen
and domestic game producers, and we cure and smoke wild
turkeys and fish for anglers and smoke and package fish
for area fish farms.
Wisconsin River Meats is
most well known for its great tasting sausage and smoked
meats, particularly our
landjaeger
sausage. Our recipes are a time tested
family tradition. We still make our sausages the good
old fashioned way. Lean meats, coarse ground, hand tied
and hickory smoked. Some other popular varieties that we
produce here at our processing facility are our homemade
smoked bacon and hams,
jerky,
and many types of coarse ground
bratwurst,
summer
sausage,
wieners,
ring bologna and
snack
style sticks..
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The Store
Wisconsin River Meats
also offers a fine selection of fresh or frozen meats
including locally raised Wisconsin beef, pork and
chicken. Stop into our friendly
store located in rural Mauston, Wisconsin and browse
all of our different products for sale. While in the
store you can order fresh cut beef and pork steaks, pork
chops, beef and pork roasts or chicken and watch us cut
them fresh to order while you shop. There is a large
display here at the store showcasing our locally
produced products. Check out our wild game selection of
Buffalo, Elk and Venison meats and sausages for sale. We
sell bundles and family packs of bulk meats at discount
prices. You can order and purchase quarters of beef and
half or whole hogs all locally produced. Fresh and
frozen meats, cheeses, sausages, Amish butter, beer and
soda, rubs, spices, ham and bacon all await you at
friendly Wisconsin River Meats.
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The Local Food Movement
There is a movement sweeping the Nation of the promotion
and consumption of local food. Many enlightened folks
have discovered the quality, charm and convenience,
along with the savings of buying local.
Wisconsin and Juneau County are nearly ground zero for
the buy local movement and it is nothing new here.
Wisconsin is home to many vibrant and thriving local
food establishments.
Wisconsin is home to over 100 cheese factories and over
300 meat processing plants. We have many local orchards,
produce farms, farmers markets, and cranberry bogs in
the area. Now with increasing access to the internet,
folks from all around can enjoy the information,
processes and products and truly benefit from these
local markets. We welcome you!
Wisconsin River Meats involves itself
in special events, local activities and festivals all
around the great Badger State. Sometimes we just provide
the food, or sometimes we just cook or sometimes we
handle the whole thing. One example of our services that
we are very proud of is the annual Iola Old Car Show
held in July every year. Wisconsin River Meats
is the proud sole meat purveyor for the four day event.
Another proud event is the annual Warrens Cranberry
Festival. This wonderful festival has us cooking and
selling for three days.
Other special events we annually attend are the Stone
Lake Cranberry Festival, the Mauston Pumpkin Bash, The
Wind Lake Street Fair and Wo Zha Wa Days in Wisconsin
Dells.
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Community Involvement
One of our goals is to be involved in the community and
the nation. Wisconsin River Meats
belongs to many organizations.
We work with area schools to help educate our young in
what animal agriculture is all about. We attend seminars
and give speeches, organize events and help portray the
long lasting benefits of local agriculture. Wisconsin
River Meats gives tours and holds occasional open houses
to showcase our facility, products and abilities.
National Federation of Independent Business
Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors
American
Association of Meat Processors
Mauston Area Chamber
of Commerce
Castle Rock Petenwell Lakes Association
Mauston FFA Alumni
Juneau County Agricultural
Society
Mauston Wrestling Club
Outdoors Forever
Whitetails Unlimited
North American Shed Hunters
Club
Ducks Unlimited
National Wild Turkey
Federation- Lemonweir Longbeards
Hunters Against
Hunger
National Rifle Association
Juneau County
Republican Party
Mauston Area Economic Development
Corporation
New Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce
Great Lakes Belted Galloway Association
Juneau County
Agriculture, Recreation and Industrial Society
The
Belted Galloway Society
Necedah Area Chamber of
Commerce
Juneau County Economic Development
John serves as an elected official to the Juneau County
Board of Supervisors
Dave has served as an elected
official to the Mauston City Council
Credentials
Vice President David Mauer has over 22 years meat
industry experience and worked for Hamm’s Meat Service
and Coloma Meats and Provisions in manufacturing and
sales before partnering with John to create
Wisconsin River Meats. President John Hamm has
over 30 year’s meat industry experience. Add that all up
that’s over 50 years combined experience!
John worked for Coloma Meats and Provisions, and also
was the former owner of Hamm’s Meat Service. John is a
U.S. Marine Corp veteran and a graduate of the "all
around butcher" course at Southwest Wisconsin Vo-Tech in
Fennimore Wisconsin.
Our Mission Statement
Treating customers as friends, and having the highest
quality products and services, are our goals. We look
forward not only to serving you, but to building a
relationship of offering the highest quality food
products right to your door.
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