Do you feel tired of eating at the dining halls day after day? Are you sick of eating fast food with questionable meat products? Well if you’re looking to switch up your diet with something a little fresher, Penn State’s Meat Sale is the place to stop by on Fridays.

The Meats Laboratory, located directly behind Beaver Stadium, hosts a meat market every Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Beginning in 1958, the sale took off when people started buying the products for their tailgates. We spoke to Glenn Meyers, the manager of the meat sale.

Contrary to popular belief, none of their products are shipped to the dining halls on-campus. “The only meat products we sell outside [the market] are summer sausage to the Creamery. Other than that, everything can only be purchased here,” said Meyers.

Everything sold at the meat market is raised right here at the University. “We have a beef and sheep center on the other side of orchard road and we have a swine facility down on the other side of the baseball field,” said Meyers.

Football weekends are a busy time for the Meat Market, as tailgating season is in full swing. “We get some students,” said Meyers. “The vast majority of people that come here are retired folks from the area, and we also get a lot of the football traffic.”

According to Meyers, beef is the best-selling meat at the market, but pork and lamb are also big sellers. So no matter what type of burger you plan on grilling up before Penn State takes on Army this weekend, make sure to hit up the Meat Market for some fresh, local food.

About the Author

Claire Going

Claire is a freshman broadcast journalism major and writer for Onward State. She enjoys reading, running, and a good cup of tea. She's from Emmaus, Pennsylvania and is a dual citizen. (Go Ireland!) You can contact her via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @claire_going.