On Saturday, just east of Sherwood Park, the Alberta Beef Jerky Boy is setting up shop outside the Country Mercantile. Danny Koenig has been running his side hustle for roughly 20 years. He made it a father-son duo when he brought along 35-year-old Justin, who has cerebral palsy, as a way to bond. Justin says he loves the opportunity to meet new people every Saturday. “People like our products,” he told CTV News Edmonton. The products, coolers upon coolers of Alberta beef jerky, steaks, cheese, baking and other goods sell out quickly as customers flock during their weekend errands. The longevity of the roadside stand is a testament to its popularity, some say. Regular customer Al Jacobs says it’s an easy way to support “fresh, convenient” local products. “It’s like visiting with friends. We end up spending usually a half hour just hanging out and visiting,” he said. Danny says it’s the community that’s made the work a “legacy.” “I think people know that you’re giving a good deal. I try to keep my prices down because I don’t have an overhead. I’m honest to people about what I carry … I usually carry the best of the best of the beef,” he said. “The crowd is overwhelming. They’re beautiful people … I like to talk it through with them, and sometimes we have great moments here.” He says he’s spoken to people at their lowest, people from out of town, locals who are out running errands and those who just want some good Alberta beef. Danny works a full-time job but still manages to maintain the bins of beef all 12 months of the year. “In the fall the beard gets big, and some of the old ladies come up to me and say, ‘Where’s the other guy?’ and I go, ‘I am that other guy,’” he joked. And he’ll retire, someday – if they let him. “I believe that people out here want me to be here … I’ve come close a couple times to retirement already, and people say no, so that kind of drives me to do it. It’s a beautiful thing. “The community out here has been so good to us.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum
