WASHINGTON, D.C. – The USDA announced Nov. 23 the investment of $32 million in grants awarded to 167 U.S. meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities to support expanded capacity and efficiency through the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant.

The agency said the grants would strengthen the U.S. food supply chain, and help the meat and poultry sector recover from the pandemic.

“Today’s investment supports local and regional meat and poultry processors as they recover from the pandemic, and also work to expand capacity,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “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, pursue new market opportunities, and better meet consumer and producer demand along the supply chain.”

With this grant funding, the USDA said U.S. meat and poultry processing businesses can cover the costs for improvements such as expanding existing facilities, modernizing processing equipment and meeting packaging, labeling and food safety requirements needed to achieve a Federal Grant of Inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Poultry Products Inspection Act.

In addition, the states receiving the funds can operate under their individual state’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. These changes will allow these facilities to serve more customers in more markets, the USDA said.

As a new program authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant is jointly administered by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, and Food Safety and Inspection Service.

“The program was part of the USDA’s comprehensive funding package to help small and very small processing facilities weather the pandemic, compete in the marketplace, and get the support they need to reach more customers,” the USDA said in a Nov. 26 statement.

In June 2021, the USDA announced the availability of $55.2 million in Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant funding. The agency is accepting applications for a competitive grant award process, which resulted in the awards. Remaining funds will be made available through a forthcoming Request for Applications.

Among the businesses in the Farm World readership area receiving USDA grant funding are:

Illinois

Arrow Farm Meats, LLC, in Rock City, received a total project amount of $200,000 to revitalize its workplace safety to reach USDA inspection status.

Indiana

1. Ohio Valley Meat Processing, LLC, in English, received a total project amount of $198,876.39 for upgrades to the former Pates Processing, now Ohio Valley Meat Processing, to make required improvements as recommended by the state of Indiana.

2. John’s Butcher Shop, Inc., in Nappanee, received a total project amount of $200,000 to convert and expand its Wakarusa facility from state to cooperative interstate shipment inspection status.

3. Hoosier Growers, LLC, in Lebanon, received a total project amount of $197,739 for facility upgrades, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan development to obtain a federal grant of inspection.

4. 4 Bar M, Inc., in Greencastle, received a total project amount of $154,748.49 to make improvements for the purpose of being USDA-inspection ready, to better facilitate and make efficient the processing of livestock, as well as increase the number of animals processed by 60+0/6, or better annually, the company said.

5. Wabash Clay Custom Meats, in Clay City, received a total project amount of $200,000 to complete a cooperative interstate shipment inspection so “we will be able to expand our geographic region for processing and scales,” the company said.

6. Oliver’s Butcher Shop, in Union City, received a total project amount of $192,446.03 for its facility and retail expansion project to increase capacity and revenue.

Iowa

1. Premium White Meat, LLC, in Bloomfield, received a total project amount of $200,000 to revitalize its workplace safety to reach USDA inspection readiness.

2. Yetter Locker, Inc., in Auburn, received a total project amount of $200,000 for upgrading its facilities to promote cooperative interstate shipment inspection readiness.

3. Weaver Meats, LLC, in Afton, received a total project amount of $200,000 for upgrading facilities and equipment to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection readiness.

4. Edgewood Locker, Inc., in Edgewood, received a total project amount of $200,000 for its expansion project, and to transition from state inspection to USDA inspection.

5. Slaughter House Meats, LLC, in Melbourne, received a total project amount of $200,000 for revitalizing its infrastructure to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection readiness, and improve rural food access.

6. Clarion Locker, in Clarion, received a total project amount of $200,000 for upgrading equipment to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection status, and encourage meat industry diversity.

7. Mingo Locker, LLC, in Mingo, received a total project amount of $200,000 for its 2021 Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant compliance project.

8. Ruthven Meat Processing, Inc., in Ruthven, received a total project amount of $200,000 to improve its processing, storage and smoked product resources to help earn cooperative interstate shipment inspection status.

9. In’t Veld’s Meat Market, in Pella, received a total project amount of $200,000 for federal inspection planning and implementation.

10. Moravia Meat Locker, in Moravia, received a total project amount of $183,575 for upgrading its infrastructure and equipment to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection readiness.

11. Dayton Meats, in Malcolm, received a total project amount of $200,000 for improving its infrastructure to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection readiness.

12. RC Nikkel, LLC, in Sully, received a total project amount of $200,000 for modernizing its equipment and infrastructure to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection status.

13. Thoma Enterprises, Inc., in Durant, received a total project amount of $200,000 for revitalizing its equipment to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection readiness.

14. Winthrop Locker, LLC, in Winthrop, received a total project amount of $200,000 for upgrading its facilities and equipment to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection readiness.

15. Zeb’s Smokehouse, Ltd., in Bedford, received a total project amount of $200,000 for its market expansion and cooperative interstate shipping compliance program.

16. Corning Meat Processing Service, Inc., Corning, received a total project amount of $200,000 for revitalizing its infrastructure and equipment to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection readiness.

17. County Meats, Inc., in Arcadia, received a total project amount of $200,000 for modernizing its equipment and infrastructure to reach cooperative interstate shipment inspection status.

18. Bordenaro’s Meat Market, LLC, in Carroll, received a total project amount of $200,000 to construct its new slaughter and meat/food shipping facility.

Kentucky

1. Burnette’s Enterprise, LLC, in Mayfield, received a total project amount of $196,996.40 “to upgrade and receive training in order to function as a USDA-certified facility,” the company said.

2. Sugarloaf Mountain Meats and Processing, in Morehead, received a total project amount of $200,000 for obtaining a Federal Grant of Inspection through the U.S. Poultry Products Inspection Act, which requires the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to inspect all domesticated birds when slaughtered and processed into products for human consumption.

Michigan

1. Cozat Packing, in Coleman, received a total project amount of $199,618.74 for the company’s expansion of capacity and productivity.

2. Creswick Farms, in Ravenna, received a total project amount of $200,000 for its processing plant modernization 2021 Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant proposal request.

3. Sommers Sausage Shop, in Crystal Falls, received a total project amount of $197,000 for making federal inspection available to underserved small farms in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It proposed for an expansion of services from custom-exempt to federally inspected slaughter.

4. Wilson’s Meats, LLC, in Traverse City, received a total project amount of $200,000 for its plan to obtain a Federal Grant of Inspection by September 2024 “to make quality meats more accessible in rural Northern Michigan,” the company said.

5. Bosserd Brothers Meats, LLC, in Marshall, received a total project amount of $199,887 to increase slaughter and processing capacity 50 percent to serve local farmers and retail meat demand.

6. Love Meats, Inc., in Rudyard, received a total project amount of $200,000 for “making federal inspection available and increasing processing throughput (the amount of material or items passing through a system or process) in the Eastern Upper Peninsula,” the company said.

7. Sarah Miles Cleveland, of J & S Meats in Newaygo, received a total project amount of $186,670 for facility and equipment upgrades, which will increase production capacity and efficiency to secure Federal Grant of Inspection, the company said.

Ohio

1. Camden Locker, LLC, in Camden, received a total project amount of $200,000 for plant improvements to secure Ohio Department of Agriculture full inspection and cooperative interstate shipment inspection compliance.

2. R&C Packing and Custom Butcher, in Bidwell, received a total project amount of $199,526.22 to improve efficiency by utilizing the funding to purchase equipment and upgrading facilities as needed.

3. Ebel’s Butcher Shop, in Grover Hill, received a total project amount of $200,000 for a processing room upgrade, and to increase cooling, processing and slaughter capabilities.

4. Raney’s Beef Jerky in Ironton, Ohio, received a total project amount of $200,000 for expanding the company’s existing 384-square-foot facility to a proposed 2,884-square-foot facility.