Jennifer Howard is joined by members of the Faribault County Economic Development Authority as she presents the Business Spotlight Award for March to Joel Sonnek, of the Country Butcher Shop, in Easton.

The Faribault County Economic Development Authority board members traveled to Easton for their March 15 meeting.

One of the first items of business on their agenda was to present the County EDA Business Spotlight Award for March to Joel Sonnek, owner of the Country Butcher Shop in Easton.

“The business actually got its start in the mid-1980s in Ray’s Grocery in Minnesota Lake,” Sonnek explained. “My dad moved it out to our farm north of Easton in 1989.”

Joel’s father, Arnie, operated the butcher shop with the assistance of his business partner, Scott Radke, until Arnie’s death in 2010.

“I purchased the operation from my mom, Connie, in 2014,” Joel shared. “I moved into Easton in 2019.”

And like his father, he still is partnered with Radke.

“Everything sold over the counter is USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) inspected,” Sonnek commented. “We do all of our butchering on the farms where the animals are located.”

The Country Butcher Shop purchases meat from USDA inspected facilities to sell to their customers.

“Someone can buy a quarter of beef from animals we butcher but I cannot sell someone just one steak from an animal we process,” Sonnek explained.

Two different USDA inspectors will show up randomly, twice per year, to perform inspections on the facility.

“One inspects the retail side of the business and the other inspects the custom processing area of our operation,” Sonnek remarks. “Both inspectors have been very good to work with.”

The Country Butcher Shop processes pork, beef, lamb and deer.

“It has been crazy the last couple of years,” Sonnek states. “It is good to be booked out 180 days but it is also not good to be booked out that far ahead of time. It appears things are beginning to turn to normal now.”

The Country Butcher Shop stocks a wide variety of meat for sale including very meaty baby-back ribs, Windsor Chops, lean ground beef, steaks and pork chops, just to name a few.

“We are open six days a week,” Sonnek notes. “We open at 8 a.m. every day except Thursday and Sunday. We stay open until 8 p.m. on Monday and until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. We close at noon on Saturday. We are available by appointment on Thursday. Sunday is the only day when we do not open our doors at all.”

During the meeting, Jennifer Howard was introduced to the board as the new CEDA (Community and Economic Development Associates) staff member.

“I became a member of CEDA in February of this year,” Howard said. “I am an Army veteran and am in the Army Reserves. I have small business experience after owning and operating the Winnebago Grill for several years with my husband.”

Howard and County EDA Specialist Annie Nichols shared a number of reports with the board.

“We met with the board of the Kiester Market and are working with them to help make their business more viable,” Howard shared. “They are consolidating freezer space, reducing the overlap of employees’ hours and we are helping them apply for a grant.”

It was also noted the grocery store is working on offering a grab-and-go section in their store.

“These are ready-to-eat items which will be placed at an easily accessible area of the store,” Howard commented.

Nichols also shared news that Bevcomm has said they would like to move up the timeline for getting field work done for the Small Cities Broadband Grant.

“The contract for the work is expected to be presented to the County Board on April 5,” Nichols noted. “Once approved, Bevcomm will begin getting access agreements from homeowners.”

Nichols also shared a copy of the Faribault County EDA 2021 Annual Report with the board.

“I will be presenting this to the commissioners at one of their meetings,” she said.

Also, at the meeting:

• Nichols shared the loan on the gas station in Bricelyn has been closed and work is being done on perfecting the security agreement and lien cards for the vehicles.

• It was reported the Simplified Ag loan as been paid off and the EDA is in the process of satisfying the mortgage and removing liens on the collateral.

• The EDA still has an open position on the board and is considering various ways to find a new member.