For Don Kruse, sausage making has always been a family affair.
Kruse grew up on a farm in Hermann, Missouri, a town of a little more than 2,500. Founded in 1837 by the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, Hermann was dedicated as a place where German Americans could preserve their culture, according to the Gasconade County Historical Society.
The German settlers had to provide food for their families, and they brought their recipes with them. In traditional fashion, the men in Kruse’s family butchered hogs — as many as eight, he remembered — while the women would prepare the sausage casings for stuffing to make links.
When he was as young as seven years old, Kruse was allowed to tag along.
“It's very rural around here, and a lot of farmers would butcher and make their own sausage and cure bacon and hams, things like that,” Kruse said. “That carried them through the winter; (the meats) would hang in a smokehouse covered in salt so they wouldn't get moldy.”
“Too salty for my blood, but very tasty,” he added.
Though no longer essential for survival, these practices have endured and are celebrated today, especially in Kruse’s hometown with its annual Hermann Wurstfest, which draws crowds to both meat- and non-meat-related businesses and kickstarts the local economy after its winter lull.
Missouri’s meat processing industry was worth $5.9 billion in 2021, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. That same year, the state had more than 140 animal processing businesses with payroll employment and supported nearly 17,500 jobs, according to a University of Missouri Extension report.
Missouri’s tourism industry, on the other hand, contributes $19.9 billion to the state’s economy and supports more than 300,000 jobs, according to the Missouri Division of Tourism.
In Hermann, tourism is currently the town’s number one industry, Hermann Director of Economic Development and Tourism Tammy Bruckerhoff said.
Hermann's businesses, including professional butchers with retail and online stores, support the tourism industry, which is anchored by the wine sector but has since expanded, Bruckerhoff said. With over 250,000 annual visitors, the region continues to grow as a destination.
“Combine those attractions with our museums, antique and boutique shops, plentiful lodging, transportation businesses, the Amtrak Missouri River Runner, and numerous festivals all year long, we have a winning recipe for tourism,” Bruckerhoff said via email.
One of said festivals is Wurstfest, the 44th rendition of which took place from March 21-23.
Dubbed "The Wurstfest of the Midwest — A Celebration of All Things Sausage," the three-day event consists of sausage sampling, amateur and professional sausage making competitions, sauerkraut-making classes, German dancing and music, and a Wiener Dog Derby and talent show, according to the website.
The main attraction, however, is the meat.
“The weekend is dedicated to the art of sausage making the German way, keeping in mind the German heritage that Hermann is known for,” Kruse said.
And, for so-called “Hermann Germans” like Kruse, that is the heart of the festival: keeping tradition alive through top-quality meats and sausages, still made the old-fashioned way with the old-fashioned recipes.
“It's not about the wine,” Kruse said. “It's all about the sausage.”
Meat-ing demand
In Hermann’s home of Gasconade County, the meat processing industry was anticipated to contribute $23 million and 606 jobs to the state’s economy, according to 2021 data.
One of those contributors is Hermann Wurst Haus, where owner Mike Sloan has been involved with the festival for all 44 years.
Perched on what owner Sloan calls one of the busiest corners in Hermann — maybe even in all of Gasconade County — Wurst Haus is a go-to stop for train travelers, located just across from the Amtrak station. While business dips in January and February, Sloan says Wurstfest in late March sets the pace for the season ahead.
“Good traffic, slow traffic, it gives you a crystal ball for the rest of the year,” he said.
Sloan has worn many hats at Wurstfest over the years — vendor, committee member, chairman — but his mission for doing so remains largely unchanged: help the festival thrive while serving up his 45 bratwurst flavors, 12 kinds of bacon and 10 types of summer sausage. With more than 60 years in the meat industry, he also taps into his network to bring in other vendors.
Stonie’s Sausage Shop in Perryville, a Wibbenmeyer family tradition since 1959, has been part of Wurstfest for nearly 20 years, said President Tyson Wibbenmeyer. While this year’s festival brought in about $4,000 in revenue, he said the real value comes from the exposure, not the profits.
“We hear it a lot: people come into our store, and say, ‘Hey, we saw you at Wurstfest,’ or they'll come in at Wurstfest and say, ‘Hey, we always go down to your place whenever we're in (your) area,’” Wibbenmeyer said.
This idea was echoed by Erik Hollenback, president of Ozarks Meat Factory.
As an Ozarks-area startup and as one of the three new vendor additions to Wurstfest this year, Hollenback noted sales were “more than what (they) expected and anticipated.”
“Because it brings a lot of people from other areas that typically you wouldn't have the exposure to, I met people that drove as far as six hours to get there just to be at the Hermann Wurstfest,” Hollenback said. “So, (the festival) definitely provides a lot of exposure to the vendors and the businesses there.”
Melissa Lensing, the director of Hermann’s chamber of commerce and sponsor of Wurstfest, said the festival has evolved over the years to boost vendor impact, including adding a second line at sausage tastings.
“Everybody is getting to spend a little bit more time on the tasting, which is what it's all about,” Lensing said at the festival. “And buying, I'm seeing more people walking out with bags this year than I ever have.”
To Sloan, it all ties back to the strength of the Hermann brand, which Wurst Haus and other local businesses benefit from year-round.
“That's a million (dollar), maybe a ten million (dollar) name, so it's important to get that brand out there,” Sloan said.
Local links
Robert Brooks is from St. Louis. Bob Smith is from Wentzville. Shannon Beckemeyer is from Festus. Ava Norman is from Otterville.
They may be based across the state, but they all have one thing in common: they came to Hermann Wurstfest ready to spend money.
Brooks, who visited Hermann for Saturday’s events with his wife, estimated spending about $300 on food, beverages, and gas, while Smith, with his group, expected to spend around $60 to $70.
Beckemeyer and Norman, both stayed for the weekend. Beckemeyer expected to spend $500 to $600 camping in the city. Norman stayed in a bed and breakfast with her boyfriend and found the cost of the trip varied, noting that while Hermann was “relatively cheap,” the overall expenses still felt like, “kind of a lot."
“(It’s) not a huge boom to the local economy,” Brooks said. “But if you get enough of us out here, it all starts to add up.”
For entry to Hermann Festhalle and Stone Hill Winery, the two main event locations, tickets were $10 during pre-sale tickets and $15 at the door. This year, Wurstfest sold about 1,600 tickets total — about 200 more than last year, according to Lensing.
“All indications are, this has been a very good (weekend) for our Chamber members and our community businesses,” Lensing said.
Angie Faerber, owner of the 25-year-old antique and boutique store, Seasonal Treasures and Gifts in Hermann, seconds that thought.
“It's definitely busier, and it definitely brings a lot more people and revenue to the town, for sure,” Faerber said.
Nicole Woods, the owner of The Popcorn Dispensary, opened her snack food shop last June. Though this was her first time open during Wurstfest, she observed that the crowds were similar to those that at Oktoberfest, another one of Hermann’s festivals celebrating the town’s German roots.
“It's busy, it all comes in waves and people follow each other,” Woods said. “(People) see our yellow bag, so then they wonder where they came from and they come in looking for them.”
“A great, successful event will definitely go towards just promoting our community even more,” Lensing added.
That promotion is increasingly important given the expected growth in Montgomery County, which is located just north of Hermann. Two data centers recently inked a deal to come into the New Florence area, which will employ about 300 people with high-paying salaries, Lensing said.
“A rising tide lifts all ships,” Lensing said. “They're going to be lifting things up there, and we're going to be part of that benefit. ... (Change is) coming, and you can get on board or not, so we might as well control the change that happens to us.”
Anticipating an influx of families, the local Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Commission began strategic planning sessions over a year ago, identifying housing as the top priority, followed by workforce development, infrastructure, lifestyle improvements, and preserving local heritage and culture, Lensing said.
A capital campaign aiming to raise over $1 million is underway to fund these initiatives. The continuation of the town’s array of German festivals plays a pivotal role in funding.
“The future of Wurstfest is very strong, because what we heard loud and clear is that our culture and our heritage means more than anything,” Lensing said. “We can't lose who Hermann is.”
This story was originally published by Missouri Business Alert, a fellow member of the KC Media Collective.
