Reynolds Market to Hold A Beef Cutting Demonstration, Friday March 4

Reynolds Market will be holding a beef cutting demonstration as part of Ag Days on Friday, March 4, at 11 a.m. in the Reynolds meat department. Reynolds will be taking part in Ag Days for the first time, giving people a better understanding of the processing aspect of the beef industry. "Farming and ranching are huge part of Eastern Montana and have been the backbone of our business," said Reynolds meat dept. manager Josh Reynolds.

Reynolds, who is the fourth generation to be involved with the business, explains that when Reynolds Market was originally founded in 1925, as with most grocery stores of the time, store owners purchased their beef directly from local producers and did all the butchering and processing at the store. Over the years, F.T Reynolds and John T. Marman would open stores in Glendive, Sidney, Miles City, Circle, Richey, Terry, Beach and Watford City. As times have changed, so too has economy, scale and cost-effectiveness and grocery stores no longer buy cattle directly from local ranchers, and the work of a skilled butcher is much more behind-the-scenes.

In the past, Reynolds Market has done beef cutting demonstrations and tours of the meat department for schools, the Boys and Girls Club, and 4H. When Richland County Extension Agent Tim Fine contacted Reynolds Market to be a part of the annual Ag Days, the store was excited to expand education of processing beef to the public.

Doug Hall will show how to get smaller specific cuts of beef from larger cuts, answer questions as he goes, and share interesting facts. For instance, a butter steak and a flat iron steak are the same steak cut differently from the shoulder cold. Hall owned his own meat processing business for 12 years and has worked in the Reynolds meat department for the last two and a half and is happy to give the 20-30 minute demonstration.

For more information, contact Fine at 406-433-1206.