Photo courtesy of CHRIS WOODWARD
Mount Union native Chris Woodward struck a chord with his own line of beef jerky, titled Woody’s Beef Jerky.

THREE SPRINGS — As a successful country singer, Mount Union native Chris Woodward is used to fielding requests for his music.

After all, Woodward and his band members perform about 100 shows each year. Over the course of his 28 years in the industry, he has also released 18 albums.

But in the kitchen for his tasty beef jerky recipe? Well, that strikes a different chord for Woodward.

That was the case in October 2023, when the 55-year-old Woodward was serving up some of his homemade jerky to friends and family.

“I was making jerky at home, goofing off and doing my thing,” recalled Woodward, who lives in Three Springs, Huntingdon County, with wife Autumn. “People who tried it said, ‘You should be selling it.'”

It was obvious that family and friends couldn’t get enough of it. After constant encouragement to sell his homemade creation, Woody’s Jerky was born.

Woodward launched Woody’s Beef Jerky in June 2004 with Mild Buffalo as his original flavor. The product has sold so well that Woodward has since added three more flavors: teriyaki, sweet barbecue and savory steak, which was just released in December.

“I wanted to see how the first flavor would do,” Woodward said of flavor lines for his jerky. “People at the shows wanted teriyaki; I personally wanted barbecue flavor.”

Eventually, he decided to offer both. At least one additional flavor is in the works – perhaps, honey mustard. He is also contemplating selling two-ounce jerky sticks.

Additionally, Woody’s Beef Jerky is now available online at www.woodysbeefjerky.com and in more than 40 retail stores throughout the Juniata Valley. His three-ounce bags can be found on sale from Mount Union to McVeytown and Belleville to Reedsville to name a few. It’s also sold throughout Mifflin, Juniata, Huntingdon and Perry counties as well as in the Altoona and Harrisburg areas.

Woodward hopes to continue to expand to new markets.

“It was pretty simple, the biggest thing was perfecting the recipe,” Woodward said. Much like fine tuning a song, Woodward wanted each flavor of his jerky to offer a bold twist.

“I just had to figure out what to use going from small quantities to 200-pound quantities,” Woodward added.

He believes that saucy jerky is what sets Woody’s Jerky apart from the rest. Woodward has been perfecting his signature saucy, tossed jerky with bold flavors that make consumers want to sink their teeth into. It’s not your typical jerky; it’s a flavor-packed, coated experience that will leave them craving more.

“We are growing better than we had ever expected,” Woodward said. “I think it’s cool. It’s a dream come true that wasn’t a dream at all. This was never in my mind. I was just making jerky at home in the winter for something to do.”

Now, Woodward considers the beef jerky business part of his livelihood. He is practically a one-man show, at this point, delivering products to the stores that carry it.

“I do the runs myself,” Woodward explained. “I like meeting the people that are going to be selling my stuff.”

He also has used the popularity of his musical career by marketing the beef jerky at his shows. Fans can buy jerky at his merchandise table, along with t-shirts and other novelties.

Woodward started working in the music industry as a solo artist in 1997. Currently, he is working on a new album and planning a special 2025 tour.

“I was sitting at home and realized I’ve been doing this for 28 years,” Woodward said. “I just felt really blessed at the moment thinking that.”

So he ended up writing the song, “I Owe It All to You,” for the album and named his upcoming tour after that for 2025.

For the past decade, he has been performing with the band, which consists of lead guitarist Mike McCartney, of Burnham; guitarist Brian McHugh, of Bellefonte; and drummer Scott Kinsey, of Linglestown.

For more information, visit www.woodysbeefjerky.com.