The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Wednesday announced an additional $21.9 million of funding is being awarded to 111 grant projects through the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant Program (MPIRG), bringing total funding to $54.6 million. This year's awards will fund projects in 37 states. The funding will help strengthen and develop new market opportunities for meat and poultry processors throughout the United States. To further these efforts, AMS is also encouraging MPIRG awardees and eligible participants in USDA's Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives to request assistance through the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA). Launched in March 2022, MPPTA connects participants to a nationwide network of resources and expertise.
"The Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants will help meat and poultry processors make necessary facility improvements, expand their businesses, and strengthen the nation's food supply chain," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "These grants are one part of USDA's Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives and will contribute to our efforts to transform our food system."
"USDA continues to build capacity and increase economic opportunity for small and midsized meat and poultry producers across the country," added Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt.
In Iowa, projects funded this round include:
- DOUBLE A ENTERPRISES LLC, Long Grove, $200,000. Double A Enterprises LLC is a small beef and pork slaughter and processing plant. As a family-owned business started in 2021, the business offers custom exempt slaughter and processing services and produces various types of value-added and fresh cut meat products. While their annualized growth rate has been 100% recently, the facility is lacking key modernization necessary to help them achieve the CIS status they need to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols. Double A Enterprises LLC proposes upgrades to their cold storage to comply with FSIS requirements and boost capacity, and also new higher-capacity processing equipment that is FSIS-compliant.
- RED BARN MEAT MARKET, LLC, Lamoni, $200,000. Red Barn Meat Market is a beef and pork slaughter and processing plant. This project includes the addition of a modern, high-capacity smokehouse that would allow the business to double their value added product output and unlock new market opportunities in Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. Red Barn Meat Market plans facility-wide safety and sanitation improvement to floors to meet FSIS standards. The project also includes order traceability and customer tracking tools to boost recall abilities and reduce administrative bottlenecks.
- WEST RIVER MEATS, LLC, Rutland, $200,000. West River Meats, LLC is a very small beef and pork slaughter and processing plant. As a locally owned business started in January, 2022, they operate a 4,500 sq. feet facility with approximately seven employees. They offer custom exempt slaughter and processing services and produce various types of value-added and fresh cut meat products. While their monthly growth rate has been +15% recently, their facility is lacking key modernization necessary to help achieve the CIS status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols. In this project, West River Meats, LLC proposes the addition of a holding area for livestock and adding equipment to increase capacity and ensure humane handling and inspection compliance. These efforts will result in substantial benefits for the business and local community.
- ZANKER MEATS INC., Stanhope, $200,000. ZANKER MEATS INC is a very small beef and pork slaughter and processing plant. As a family-owned business originally started in 1946, they operate a 9,000-sq-ft. facility with approximately 10 employees. They offer State Inspected slaughter and processing services and produce various types of value-added and fresh cut meat products. While their annualized growth rate has been 20% recently, the facility is lacking key modernization necessary to help achieve the CIS status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols.
- BAILEY BEEF PROCESSING LLC., Anita, $200,000. Bailey Beef Processing LLC is a small, family-owned beef and pork harvest and processing facility that provides fee-based meat processing services to livestock producers and manufactures value-added, fresh, and frozen cuts of meat products. Bailey Beef Processing LLC was founded in February 2022 and operates as a State Inspected facility for harvest and processing. While their annualized growth rate has
- Food Locker Service Inc., Holstein, $200,000. Food Locker Service, Inc offers State Inspected slaughter and processing services and produces various types of value-added and fresh cut meat products. The facility is lacking key equipment necessary to help achieve the CIS status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols. Food Locker Service, Inc proposes new equipment to replace the current manual process and meet FSIS sanitary requirements. This will increase their capacity for value-added products to 125 pounds per minute, up from just 15 pounds. They also propose additional equipment for the purpose of expanding their product line of value-added products, reduce product waste, and increase workplace safety.
- Leighton Processed Meats, Inc., Leighton, $200,000. Leighton Processed Meats, Inc is a very small slaughter and processing plant. They are a family-owned business started in 1999 with approximately 9 employees. Leighton Processed Meats, Inc offers State Inspected Slaughter and processing services and produces various types of value-added and fresh cut meat products. While their annualized growth rate has been 15% recently, the facility is lacking key modernization necessary to help achieve the CIS status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols.
- West Liberty Locker & Processing /Suzette Vance, West Liberty, $200,000. West Liberty Locker & Processing is very small slaughter and processing facility. As a family-owned business started in January, 2007, they have 8 employees and offer custom exempt slaughter and processing services and produce various types of value-added and fresh cut meat products. While their annualized growth rate has been 18% recently, the facility is lacking key modernization necessary to help achieve the CIS status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols.
- CJV, LLC., Gilbertville, $200,000. CJV LLC , dba Gilbertville Locker is a very small slaughter and processing plant. They are a family-owned business started in January, 2022 and have approximately 14 employees. CJV LLC , dba Gilbertville Locker offers a State Inspected slaughter and processing services and produces various types of value added and fresh cut meat products. While their monthly growth rate has been 20% recently, the facility is lacking key modernization necessary to help achieve the CIS status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols.
- Country Meat's, Inc., Arcadia, $200,000. Country Meat's Inc. is a state-inspected, family-owned meat slaughter and processing plant. They look to become a Cooperative Interstate Shipment facility. They offer processing of custom, retail, official cooking, and Federally inspected products for wholesale products. New labeling and scale capabilities will improve their capacity and ability to ship interstate products in full compliance with FSIS requirements. These efforts will benefit both the business and the community.
- Bordenaros Meat Market LLC., Carroll, $200,000. Bordenaro's Meat Market will use the MPIRG funding to complete electrical work and purchase necessary equipment to increase their slaughtering capacity. This project will allow Bordenaro's to expand their farm to the table livestock program and allow the business to ship products to wholesale and retail customers throughout the United States.
- Weaver Meats LLC., Afton, $200,000. Weaver Meats is a beef and pork harvest and processing facility. Funds will support the addition of modern, high-capacity equipment and facility upgrades to comply with FSIS requirements on product separation, because currently they are separating by "time" only. This involves renovations and plumbing upgrades in the building next to the facility and connecting it to the current operation to allow for the smokehouse, processing equipment, and storage to be separated and larger. They also want to include modern equipment to separate custom and inspected products as the business grows.
- Edgewood Locker Inc., Edgewood, $200,000. The Edgewood Locker will invest in a new refrigeration system. This refrigeration improvement will allow for products to be at 35 degrees within 18 hours (six hours quicker than the current system). There is strong demand from customers to increase processing capacity. This improvement will enable conversion of an existing room into a product cooler space, allowing increased production capacity. Upgrades to the refrigeration will support The Edgewood Locker's attainment of USDA Federal Grant of Inspection.
Facility improvements and expansions funded through MPIRG will help processors obtain a Federal Grant of Inspection or qualify for a state's Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. Achieving a Federal Grant of Inspection or operating under a Cooperative Interstate Shipment program allows meat and poultry processors to ship products across state lines, develop new markets, increase capacity, and better meet consumer and producer demand along the supply chain.
MPIRG recipients and other eligible participants, especially small and underserved stakeholders, in USDA's Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives are encouraged to take advantage of the broad technical assistance offered through MPPTA. AMS has cooperative agreements with six organizations to form the MPPTA network, which has already provided valuable assistance to over 300 businesses and organizations across the U.S. and its territories since its launch earlier this year.
Categories: Iowa, Livestock, Poultry