Dennis Schaardt Inducted Into Cured Meats Hall of Fame
Photo courtesy American Association of Meat Processors
During its annual convention in Omaha, the American Association of Meat Processors elected the newest member into the Cured Meats Hall of Fame. The 2024 inductee is Dennis Schaardt, president/CEO/COO of Den’s Country Meats in Table Rock, Neb.
At just 19 years old, Schaardt bought the meat locker from a relative in October 1985. He was the youngest of three boys, and the farm could not support all of them. He took a leap of faith to join a business he knew little about and grew it to the success it is today. He started in a small shop on the square in Table Rock.
In 1996 he built a new plant, becoming one of the first plants in Nebraska to fall under USDA inspection. Den’s Country Meats continues to grow. The company has expanded its slaughter floor and added a sweat cooler, and Den’s is getting ready to add on more freezer space and a packaging room because of the increase in business.
During its 39 years in operation, Den’s Country Meats has done exceedingly well in state, national and international competition. The company has won more than 500 awards from the Nebraska Association of Meat Processors cured meats competition. Den’s has won the Sweepstakes Award, the top overall achievement in the NAMP competition, in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, he has won more than 40 awards at the American Cured Meat Championships. In 2022, Den’s entered 48 products into the IFFA Quality Competition, hosted by the German Butchers Association, and won 45 gold medals and 3 silver medals.
Schaardt has always seen the importance of serving the meat industry. He served on the AAMP Board of Directors from 1990-1997 and 2003-2010 and was the association’s president in both 1996 and 2009. Schaardt has served on convention planning committees in the past and is presently on the association’s nominating committee. He has been recognized for his service with the AAMP Accomplishment Award in 1996, the AAMP Outstanding Service Award in 2007, and the AAMP Achievement Award in 2019.
In 2006, Schaardt and his wife, Kim, were recognized with the NAMP Service Award. He has also received the AAMP Golden Cleaver award for recruiting the most new members. Schaardt has been asked to judge many State Competitions over the years including shows in South Dakota and Missouri.
Schaardt has served as president of the 4-H Council and Pawnee County Agricultural Society, and he continues to serve as Table Rock Volunteer Fire Department’s Chief, a role he has held since 1990. He served as mayor of Table Rock for many years and as a County Commissioner for three terms. He is running to serve as a Nebraska state senator. Schaardt coached little league football for eight years, little league girls’ basketball for two years, and was a 4-H club leader for fourteen years.
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Dole’s Bobby Banana Inducted Into Mascot Hall of Fame
Every banana has its day in the sun.
The National Mascot Hall of Fame, the country’s only online and physical museum and interactive educational experience dedicated to honoring the contributions of sports mascots, has unveiled a special display featuring Bobby Banana, the celebrated 7-foot ambassador of Dole Food Company created in 1992 to promote healthy living around the world.
Christened in the museum’s Department of Mascot Studies Gallery and continuing through Sept. 30, 2024, “Bobby Banana: Dole’s Healthy-Living Icon for a Hungry World”chronicles the inception and growth of the exuberant, sneakers-wearing Cavendish banana responsible for inspiring generations of kids and families toward nutritious food choices and active lifestyles.
The National Mascot Hall of Fame is located in Whiting, Ind., 21 miles south of Chicago, and also maintains a virtual museum honoring the 33 mascots it has inducted to date.
The three-month Bobby Banana display was timed by the museum to coincide with Dole’s 125th Banana-Versary, a year-long celebration of the global produce leader’s 125 years in the banana business encompassing online, social, promotional, in-store and other activities through 2024.
“While the focus of the National Mascot Hall of Fame has traditionally been on college and professional sports mascots, we can’t help but admire the work of corporate icons like Dole’s Bobby Banana who have helped electrify and inspire progress toward a better, healthier and more equitable world,” said Karen Anaszewicz, the museum’s executive director. “Once we heard about this year’s Dole Banana-Versary, we knew the time was ripe to tell the Bobby Banana story.”
According to Anaszewicz, Bobby Banana becomes the first globally known corporate mascot to be displayed in the five-year history of the National Mascot Hall of Fame.
“After years of requests, we have decided to start officially inducting corporate mascots into the museum in 2025 as part of our expanded commitment to telling the full mascot story,” she said. “More details on this exciting evolution for the National Mascot Hall of Fame will be announced soon – so stay tuned!”
Bil Goldfield, Dole’s director of corporate communications, helped develop the exhibit, which includes a series of illuminated display panels offering information about Bobby Banana, Dole Food Company and the Banana-Versary.
“We’ve had many dialogues with the National Mascot Hall of Fame over the years, so to finally see the display christened and welcoming guests is a major thrill – for me, Bobby and everyone at Dole,” he said. “This day instantly becomes a highlight of our Banana-Versary.”
The National Mascot Hall of Fame is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is $8-10. For visitor information, go to https://mascothalloffame.com/visit/.
For information about Dole’s 125th Banana-Versary, go to the celebration page.
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Heinz Releases ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Accessories
In the lead up to the highly anticipated theatrical release of Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine”, in U.S. theaters, fans (and even the stars of the movie!) have noticed something special about the signature red and yellow suits of the film’s title characters – they look a lot like another iconic duo: Heinz Ketchup and Mustard. For the first time ever, Heinz announces the release of limited-edition collectibles that let fans accessorize their ketchup and mustard bottles to resemble Deadpool and Wolverine.
Created in collaboration with the film, the collectibles include Deadpool’s signature mask, suit, and most importantly, katanas, made specifically for HEINZ Ketchup bottles. For the mustard lovers, their bottles will feature Wolverine’s iconic claws, suit, mask. As the heroes of barbecue season, Heinz Ketchup and Mustard now have the superhero armor to match their silver screen counterparts.
“After seeing the conversation on social media highlighting the similarities between our two iconic duos – Deadpool & Wolverine and Heinz Ketchup & Mustard – we knew we had to team up with the film,” says Lizzy Goodman, brand communications manager for Heinz U.S. at The Kraft Heinz Company. “Once we made that connection – we couldn’t unsee it – as these similarities go beyond color. One’s sweet, one’s zesty. Everybody has a favorite, but really, they’re better together. And most importantly, whether at the movie theater or a cookout, both duos play starring roles in an epic summer.”
The collectibles celebrate the great lengths fans will go to in order to show their love for both Heinz and the film, including dressing up as life-size HEINZ Ketchup and Mustard Bottles or cosplaying as Deadpool and Wolverine. With this limited-edition release, Heinz turns this behavior on its head, making mealtime even more enjoyable for condiment lovers and superhero afficionados everywhere.
The collectibles release is a part of a larger collaboration between Heinz and Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine”. Inspired by the truth that fans can’t unsee – the similarity between the two iconic duos – the campaign launches with a short film featuring a custom voiceover by Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds. The film starts out like a new spot for “Deadpool & Wolverine”, but quickly morphs into an ad for Heinz Ketchup & Mustard. In his classic fourth wall-breaking style, Reynolds (as Deadpool) comes to the shocking realization that he and Wolverine look exactly like HEINZ Ketchup & Mustard bottles.
“I don’t spend much time on the internet,” says Reynolds, actor, writer and producer of “Deadpool & Wolverine”. “When my assistant faxed me a photocopy of a memo (he spelled it ‘meme’ – ugh, assistants amirite?) wherein Deadpool and Wolverine were identified as a Heinz Ketchup and Mustard bottle, respectively, I thought nothing of it and went back to my book and tea. But the faxes kept on coming! So, the idea was hatched to actually partner with Heinz to bring this memo to life. Huzzah!”
The company will release a select number of the “Deadpool & Wolverine”-inspired ketchup and mustard collectibles in the U.S. via social media in the upcoming weeks. Further details on how to get a set will be announced soon, so keep an eye on Instagram.
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