Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Burkhart.
Hi Aaron, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My wife Amy two kids, Lily (10), Cooper (8) and I live on a small farm southwest of the twin cities in Cologne, Minnesota. When we bought the land, it was 20 acres of corn. Today, we have 30 acres, a few buildings, and our house. A lot has happened in the last 10 years. We started with a few chickens and ended up with cows, goats, chickens, pigs, horses, dogs, and cats. We have a small cow/calf grazing operation, so the cows will be here for a long time. We have calves every spring. We keep some calves and sell some to the neighbors every year depending on how many we have. We raise Hereford and Angus cattle. They graze all summer on pasture and and get some grain every evening, The other animals are pets and will live on the farm forever.
A few years ago, we made an appointment to bring a steer in for slaughter with a small plant. We hauled our steer there one evening and that was the moment I knew we needed to start our own shop. It was a horrible feeling leaving our animal in such a dirty place. I have always regretted leaving him there.
A couple of years later, Jack Cooper Custom Meats was born. Where does the name Jack Cooper come from? That’s our most commonly asked question. I was never a fan of Facebook, but I would use Amy’s account to look up farm equipment for sale. She finally got sick and tired of me using her account and told me to make up a name if I didn’t want to use my real one online. That’s where Jack Cooper came from. Jack was my dog, a black lab, and Cooper is my son. Later, we started to call the farm the Jack Cooper Ranch. When we started the butcher shop, the name fit perfectly – Jack Cooper Custom Meats.
Today, at the butcher shop we slaughter anywhere from 5 to 15 animals a week. We do cows, hogs, and bison. We strive to make the animals as comfortable as they can be during their short stay with us. We want their one bad day to be only a few bad minutes. People today are more invested than ever in knowing where their food comes from. We are able to provide a local, quality product for our customers.
We are proud of the jobs we have created in our community. We quickly grew to 11 employees – they are butchers, meat cutters, and sausage makers. We also buy cattle to slaughter from our neighbors and local farmers. It has been awesome to keep this business so local. We love what we do and are excited to see where this adventure takes us.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are challenges with starting any business. It has been very challenging with all the state and federal guidelines that we have to abide by. However, the state has been very helpful and WANT to see you succeed. The biggest hurdle was our county rules and regulations. Where we are isn’t easy to have a small farm-related business with all the rules. I love this county and the people in it, but the rules that are in place have been the toughest part.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have been self-employed for 20 years in the aviation business. This is where I learned how big of a role customer service is in any business. “If you say you’re going to do it, do it” has been my motto from the beginning. In 2016, I helped start an HVAC company and I continue to be a partner in that today. Jack Cooper Custom Meats started in 2020, with my wife, Amy. I hope to grow it into something my kids would love to take over someday.
What makes you happy?
Living in the country with my family makes me happy. Being outside with the kids, around all the animals and just being outdoors!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Jackcoopermeats.com
- Instagram: jackcooper_custommeats
- Facebook: jack cooper custom meats
Image Credits
Aaron and Amy Burkhart
