Farm & Ranch

[AgriLife Today] Rosenthal Meat Science Center market makes special cuts for Valentine’s Day

Published

6 years ago

February 13, 2018

NTFR

By: Adam Russell

Writer: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, [email protected]
Contact: Ray Riley, 979-845-5651, [email protected]

COLLEGE STATION – Nothing says “I love you” quite like a heart-shaped ribeye steak for two, said Ray Riley, Texas A&M Meat Science Center manager, College Station.

For the past three years leading up to Valentine’s Day, Riley has made special cuts for folks who want to prepare a special meal for their significant other – a high quality 24-32-ounce ribeye butterflied and trimmed in the shape of a heart.

The meat market is taking orders now, and Riley said cuts of the steak will be displayed in the storefront for walk-in customers through Valentine’s Day for $14.99 per pound. The Rosenthal Meat Center market is open to the public 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and during certain time slots on special weekends and home football games.

“It’s the perfect Valentine’s Day surprise for a steak lover,” Riley said. “It’s a great thick cut of meat with beautiful marbling, and the heart says it all.”

Riley said he got the idea from social media in 2014 and has been offering the special cut to market customers each year leading up to Valentine’s Day.

“The steak has been a hit from the start,” he said. “We’ve sold out each year and hope that trend continues this year.”

The cuts are all from beef processed at the Rosenthal Meat Center for classroom instruction, including the Beef 101 program, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service educational programs, to be merchandised at the center’s retail area, Riley said.

“These ribeyes are held in reserve for this occasion,” he said.

https://youtu.be/APuruQeDKs0

Riley said the market also has various cuts of beef, lamb and pork available throughout the year. The market also offers Texas Aggie Brand beef jerky, which was named the best beef jerky in the country by the New York Times, and popular seasonal items like hickory smoked prime ribs.

Riley said despite the popularity of the heart-shaped steaks and wide recognition for other fare produced at the market, the Rosenthal Meat Center’s retail shop, which has been open since 1983, remains an obscure part of the Texas A&M campus.

“We’ve always been the biggest little secret in College Station if you ask me,” he said. “We have good, loyal customers, but there are students who come to A&M for four years and are gone without ever hearing about the market much less meat lovers in the general public, but we’re open to everyone.”

For more information about the Rosenthal Meat Science Center, go to: https://agrilife.org/rosenthal/.

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Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

5 days ago

April 21, 2024

NTFR

By Barry Whitworth, DVM

Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.

Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.

The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.

To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.