Falcon Foods prepares for holidays

With the holiday season quickly approaching, Falcon Foods is preparing for their busiest time of the year when their cheese gift boxes are in highest demand.

Students at UW-River Falls produce Falcon Foods in the university plant, which has been in operation since 1983. Students work under the direction of Plant Manager Steve Watters and produce a variety of products including ice cream, meat and cheese.

The upcoming holidays have those at Falcon Foods getting ready for the rush of orders for cheese gift boxes. This year the Falcon Foods cheese gift boxes are being offered with 14 varieties of cheese to choose from.

According to the Falcon Foods Store website, the 14 varieties of cheese produced at Falcon Foods includes: mild golden cheddar, aged golden cheddar, mild white cheddar, aged white cheddar, cheese curds, colby, smoked colby, colby with Cajun spice, colby-Jack, Monterey-Jack, Monterey-Jack with dill, pepper Jack, Swiss and cobblestone red.

“The cheese gift boxes are a great gift students can give to family members,” said Dairy Food Manager Ranee May. “The price is right and students can choose which varieties of cheese they want to give.”

The cheeses are made on campus in the cheese processing plant using raw milk from the University dairy farm. Approximately 3,500 pounds of milk is used every time cheese is made in the processing plant.

Ice cream is also made by students in the cheese processing plant. Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla are the flavors that are made on a regular basis, but there are 30 flavors that are made in the plant throughout the year.

Both Falcon Foods cheese and ice cream are used in the University Center’s Riverside Commons. Every week, 220 pounds of shredded cheese and 75 gallons of hard pack ice cream are used in Riverside Commons.

At Falcon Foods, meat snack sticks and some retail cuts of meats are also made by students. The students slaughter and butcher the animals themselves under the supervision of the plant manager.

According to the Falcon Foods website, “Its main existence is to educate students in every aspect of meat processing from sanitation and meat fabrication to sausage production and sales. Operations of this facility produces many products that are offered for sale to the general public.”

It is common for the students who are making Falcon Foods to be in a UWRF class. Some livestock, meat processing and agricultural engineering classes work with the University plant and make various foods. According to May, much of what is produced in Falcon Foods is based on class needs.

“Ice cream, cheese and meat are all sold at the Falcon Foods Store. Ice cream cups and cheese curds are also sold at Freddy’s Convenience Store in the University Center,” said May. “During the summer we sell some products at the farmer’s market and products are also sold at local events like Art on the Kinni.”

All cheese gift boxes are available for immediate delivery; however, boxes for Christmas delivery must be ordered by Dec. 10 and Christmas gift box shipping will begin Dec. 1. Each box will contain a greeting card with the sender’s name. Arrangements for personal pickup can also be made.

To order a gift box, visit the Falcon Foods Store page on UWRF’s website or visit the Falcon Foods Store in the Food Science Addition, room 149. The store’s hours are 1:00-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information, call 425-3702 or email ranee.j.may@uwrf.edu.With the holiday season quickly approaching, Falcon Foods is preparing for their busiest time of the year when their cheese gift boxes are in highest demand.

Students at UW-River Falls produce Falcon Foods in the university plant, which has been in operation since 1983. Students work under the direction of Plant Manager Steve Watters and produce a variety of products including ice cream, meat and cheese.

The upcoming holidays have those at Falcon Foods getting ready for the rush of orders for cheese gift boxes. This year the Falcon Foods cheese gift boxes are being offered with 14 varieties of cheese to choose from.

According to the Falcon Foods Store website, the 14 varieties of cheese produced at Falcon Foods includes:  mild golden cheddar, aged golden cheddar, mild white cheddar, aged white cheddar, cheese curds , colby, smoked colby, colby with Cajun spice, colby-Jack, Monterey-Jack, Monterey Jack with dill, pepper Jack, Swiss and cobblestone red.

“The cheese gift boxes are a great gift students can give to family members,” said Dairy Food Manager Ranee May. “The price is right and students can choose which varieties of cheese they want to give.”

The cheeses are made on campus in the cheese processing plant using raw milk from the University dairy farm. Approximately 3,500 pounds of milk is used every time cheese is made in the processing plant.

Ice cream is also made by students in the cheese processing plant. Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla are the flavors that are made on a regular basis, but there are 30 flavors that are made in the plant throughout the year.

Both Falcon Foods cheese and ice cream are used in the University Center’s Riverside Commons. Every week, 220 pounds of shredded cheese and 75 gallons of hard pack ice cream are used in Riverside Commons.

At Falcon Foods, meat snack sticks and some retail cuts of meats are also made by students. The students slaughter and butcher the animals themselves under the supervision of the plant manager.

According to the Falcon Foods website, “Its main existence is to educate students in every aspect of meat processing from sanitation and meat fabrication to sausage production and sales. Operations of this facility produces many products that are offered for sale to the general public.”

It is common for the students who are making Falcon Foods to be in a UWRF class. Some livestock, meat processing and agricultural engineering classes work with the University plant and make various foods. According to May, much of what is produced in Falcon Foods is based on class needs.

“Ice cream, cheese and meat are all sold at the Falcon Foods Store. Ice cream cups and cheese curds are also sold at Freddy’s Convenience Store in the University Center,” said May. “During the summer we sell some products at the farmer’s market and products are also sold at local events like Art on the Kinni.”

All cheese gift boxes are available for immediate delivery; however, boxes for Christmas delivery must be ordered by Dec. 10 and Christmas gift box shipping will begin Dec. 1. Each box will contain a greeting card with the sender’s name. Arrangements for personal pickup can also be made.

To order a gift box, visit the Falcon Foods Store page on UWRF’s website or visit the Falcon Foods Store in the Food Science Addition, room 149. The store’s hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information, call 425-3702 or email ranee.j.may@uwrf.edu.