The Final Frontier: T.F. Jerky Company Sends Products into Space on Shuttle

By Joshua Palmer, The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho

Aug. 14–TWINFALLS — Astronauts didn’t have to smuggle the beef jerky in their space suits this time.

Last week, Beefjerky.com of Twin Falls sent its beef jerky into outer space on board the Endeavor Space Shuttle.

It’s the fourth time that the online business has seen its product go where most men and women have never gone before — and, surprisingly, it all came about by coincidence.

“I named it Final Frontier Jerky because the whole space theme fit in with the online crowd, which is how we market and sell the jerky,”said Gregory Nemitz, owner of Beefjerky.com, whose independent-label jerky is manufactured by a Los Angeles factory. “But after some of the astronauts were able to try it, they started asking for it.”

One astronaut, he said, even smuggled the jerky into space by stuffing it into the pocket of his space suit.

Nemitz said Beefjerky.com this year donated about 2 pounds of jerky to NASA, which repackaged it into 2-ounce packages for the crew — part of a strict safety policy.

“They had to repackage it because there might have been a safety hazard,” he said. “If the black pepper got loose it could get into their eyes.”

Name: Beefjerky.com

Location: Twin Falls

Operations: The business sells beef jerky that is produced in California on its Web site, www.Beefjerky.com.

Revenue: Not disclosed.

Notes: Beefjerky.com was acquired by a subsidiary of Orbital Development, which held extensive contacts in the space industry.

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