Bemidji, Minnesota · Since 1940
Real Smoke.
Real Flavor.
Real Family.
Handcrafted bratwursts, sausages, and wieners.
Four generations of smoke and tradition.
Family-Owned
Since 1940
Real Wood Smoke
No shortcuts
Ships Nationwide
Free over $98
Our Belief
Made by hand.
Kept by
tradition.
In 1940, Willie “Jipe” Stittsworth opened a butcher shop in Ankeny, Iowa — cutting meat by day, building bombs for WWII by night. That same grit runs through every product we make. No fillers. No liquid smoke. No shortcuts. Just hardwood, whole cuts, and the same obsession passed down through four generations.
Years of tradition
One family
Retail stores
Lbs / month
Our Philosophy
No fillers. No shortcuts.
No compromise.
01
Real Wood Smoke
Hickory, apple, and cherry. Slow and low for 12–18 hours. Nothing artificial, ever.
02
Whole Cuts Only
We start with full primal cuts from family farms we know by name. No trimmings, no fillers.
03
Zero Shortcuts
Liquid smoke is not smoke. Sodium nitrite is not curing. We do it the right way or not at all.
04
Named-Farm Sourcing
Every product traces back to a specific farm. Accountability is baked in, not just marketed.
Willie “Jipe” cut meat by day and built bombs by night.
That work ethic never left this family.
— Mychal Stittsworth, 4th Generation
Our Heritage
86 years in the making
Ankeny, Iowa → Turtle River, Minnesota → Everywhere
The Beginning
Ankeny, Iowa
Willie "Jipe" Stittsworth opens a butcher shop with wife Madge and their kids. By day he cuts meat. By night he builds bombs for WWII. The standard is set from day one.
The Nymore Food Mart
Bemidji, MN
Corey Stittsworth and his brother Clay purchase the Nymore Food Mart in Bemidji — originally built in 1899. Goal: create an old-fashioned meat market. They perfect the brat recipe. It becomes an instant hit.
Family Focused
Bemidji, MN
Corey buys Clay out and runs the operation solo. Tighter. Leaner. Still the same smoke and spice that built the name.
Third Generation
Bemidji, MN
Mychal Stittsworth — Corey's son — takes over as owner. He modernizes operations, expands distribution, and begins building toward a Smokehouse production facility.
The MSU
Minnesota Statewide
Mychal invents the Mobile Slaughter Unit — Minnesota's first USDA-approved mobile unit. The concept becomes Friesla. The industry takes notice.
Smokehouse Opens
Turtle River, MN
The Turtle River smokehouse opens. 28 team members. 100,000 lbs per month. 2,500+ retail stores. Still family-owned, still handcrafted.
Ships Nationwide
Everywhere
From Minnesota to your doorstep. The same smoke your grandparents would have recognized, delivered fresh. Four generations in, nothing important has changed.
The Fourth Generation
Turtle River, MN
Sophie and Willie Stittsworth are growing up in the business. The smoke keeps rising. The tradition continues.