U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced July 11 that the Biden-Harris administration is making investments that will strengthen American food supply chains, increase independent meat and poultry processing capacity, create more, new and better markets for producers and lower food costs.
Thanks to funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, USDA is continuing to invest in the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program. Among the latest recipients were facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Texas.
“The Biden-Harris administration and USDA are advancing a sustainable vision of agriculture that prioritizes the needs of hardworking producers and small businesses and keeps rural communities strong,” Vilsack said. “Thanks to historic resources from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, USDA is working to give farmers and ranchers a fairer chance to compete in the marketplace, which will increase local food options and lower costs for American families.”
State recipients
Simla Frozen Food Locker Co. LLC, Simla, Colorado, is receiving a $450,000 grant to build a new facility across the street from its existing facility in rural Colorado to expand processing capacity. The company processes, beef, hogs, chicken, turkeys, lamb, goats and wild game. This project will allow the family-run business to receive USDA inspection and sell locally produced proteins into wholesale markets such as restaurants and grocery stores. The company expects to serve 160 additional producers and create four full-time jobs through this project.
Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Co. LLC, Craig, Colorado, is receiving nearly $7 million in a grant that will help support the construction of a new facility adjacent to the existing one and dramatically expand Fitch Ranch’s processing capacity under USDA inspection while creating 65 new jobs. Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Company partners with more than 500 local producers to process and sell hogs, cattle and lamb into local direct-to-consumer and wholesale markets.
Leonard’s Locker LLC, a family-owned business in Frederika, Iowa, received an $855,800 grant. Leonard’s Locker processes beef and hogs for local producers as well as wild game. Leveraging this USDA investment, Leonard’s Locker will purchase land, construct and equip a new state-of-the-art processing facility that will allow the company to grow its capacity by 50 percent, develop new value-added products and become inspected under the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program, which will allow the company and its producers to access new wholesale markets. Leonard’s Locker anticipates serving an additional 60 producers and creating four new full-time jobs as a result of this project.
Top End LLC, Kanorado, Kansas, has received a $2.44 million grant. Top End LLC, which does business as TEAM Processing, is building a new USDA-inspected beef and hog processing facility in western Kansas that will create 19 new jobs. The facility will provide fee-for-service processing to more than 50 local producers, including offering organic certification and processing of non-amenable species such as buffalo and yak so that producers can access new and better markets. TEAM processing will also offer on-site retail for local consumers.
Real Kansas Meats LLC, Fall River, Kansas, has a received a $6.87 million grant. Real Kansas Meats is a start-up red meat processor established to serve local producers in southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri while providing high-quality, affordable protein products to the surrounding community. With support from MPPEP – Phase 2, Real Kansas Meats will construct, equip and obtain a grant of inspection for its slaughter and fabrication facility, serving an estimated 100 producers and creating 117 new full-time jobs.
Clean Chickens and Co. LLC, Elk River, Minnesota, has received about $1.03 million. Clean Chickens and Co. operates a USDA-inspected mobile poultry processing unit specializing in both chicken and turkey processing. Using both MPPEP – Phase 2 and private financing, the company will construct a brick-and mortar facility focused on lamb and goat processing that will serve halal markets and help local producers access value-added markets. The project will lead to the creation of 18 new jobs while helping train a new generation of butchers in both poultry and red meat processing.
The Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation has received about $603,600. The Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation, a nonprofit established to advance the educational and cooperative mission of its family farmer members, will invest MPPEP-Phase 2 funding to develop a modular red meat processing facility in north-central Minnesota. The new facility is expected to employ 15 full-time staff while also providing training and apprenticeships in collaboration with Central Lakes College’s meat cutting program. The new facility will join an ecosystem of other businesses owned by Farmers Union Industries, including rendering plants in southern Minnesota and a restaurant in Minneapolis.
ASC Lockers LLC in Cumin County, Nebraska, will receive $1.06 million. ASC Lockers is a small red meat processor that has been in business since 2012. Located in Cumin County, one of the top five counties nationally in terms of cattle production, ASC Lockers will double its processing capacity as well as its staff, adding 12 new full-time staff as a part of this project. With the expanded capacity, ASC Lockers will offer significantly more processing availability and services to local producers selling directly to consumers and into local schools, restaurants and grocery stores.
Noah’s Ark Processors LLC, Hastings, Nebraska, will receive $10 million. Noah’s Ark Processors is one of three Kosher beef distributors in the country. With support from MPPEP-Phase 2, the company will double its cattle slaughter and processing capacity by expanding the facility and its processing floor. This expansion will allow Noah’s Ark Processors to serve an additional 54 producers while fully meeting the domestic and international demand for Kosher beef. This project is expected to create 40 new jobs.
Midwestern Meat Lockers LLC, Newell, South Dakota, will receive nearly $5.7 million. Midwestern Meat Locker is a full-service butcher shop that harvests, processes and further processes cattle, hogs, sheep and bison for local producers. Currently operating in a facility built in 1911, Midwestern Meat Locker will use MPPEP – Phase 2 funds to purchase land, construct and equip a new facility that will allow the company to begin operating under USDA inspection while increasing its capacity by 300%. As a result of this project, Midwestern Meat Locker will double the number of producers it serves while creating five new full-time jobs.
Producer Owned Beef LLC, Amarillo, Texas, has received $10 million. Producer Owned Beef is a new producer-owned beef harvest and processing plant. The producers’ goal is to increase cattle processing capacity and competition and distribute plant profits to producer owners, who will reinvest in their businesses and communities. POB will primarily serve the region of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, which ranks No. 1 nationally in cattle on feed capacity but third largest in fed cattle processing capacity. MPPEP-2 funds will be used to support the purchase of the facility’s equipment as part of Producer Owned Beef’s effort to significantly increase regional processing capacity by 15% and national capacity by 3%. The company expects to serve 250 cattle producers and create more than 1,500 new full-time jobs.
USDA’s Rural Development has provided 59 awards totaling more than $291.4 million through MPPEP to expand processing capacity and strengthen the food supply chain. MPPEP is funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
