Missouri Meat is "Made Well"

Steve Madewell’s name says it all: his meat truly is made well. This Missouri niche pork producer focuses on quality pork grown the old-fashioned way on his family farm.

“It’s a total outdoor system,” Madewell says. “Hogs run on pasture.” Madewell takes pride in his animals and knows they are humanely cared for. “We don’t feed any antibiotics, Madewell says.

Madewell sells the meat through his store, Madewell Meats in Mount Vernon, Mo., a town of 5,000 close to the family farm.

“Customers come to our store because we sell organic products,” Madewell says. “Everything is marketed through the store or through farmers’ markets.”

Even though the store sells a variety of products, pork is the focus. “We use between 400 and 500 pigs each year to meet our customer’s demand,” Madewell says.

Madewell’s operation is a family effort. “My son handles the online part of the business,” he says.

And the Internet has allowed Madewell to ship products all across the United States. “We ship a lot of no sugar, no nitrite bacon for diabetic people,” Madewell says. “You can’t find it everywhere.”

The Madewell family began specializing in natural pork in 1997. “Seven cent hogs brought on this idea,” he says. “We were selling 16 pound hams for more money than a 250 pound hog would bring.”

Madewell Meats started with nine pork items and now sells more than 35 pork items. “We did this out of necessity, and it’s just grown and grown to where it is now,” Madewell says. “It’s a good business.”

To learn more about Madewell Meats, visit www.madewellmeats.com or call toll free 877-461-MEAT. You can also e-mail Madewell at salesinfo@madewellmeats.com.

To find niche producers in your area, visit www.nichepork.org.

Sign up
If you are a niche pork producer and would like to have your contact information listed on the Niche Pork Web site, call the Checkoff’s Producer Service Center at 1-800-456-PORK.