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Transportation and Marketing

Local Meat Capacity Grants

Description of Funded Projects

Number of Grants Awarded: 42

Amount of Funds Awarded: $9,501,281

For more information, please visit the grant program's website:

https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/localmcap. 

NOTE: The below project descriptions were adapted from descriptions provided by awardees.

Alabama 

Recipient: Weaver Meat Processing LLC 

City: Hartselle 

District: AL-005

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $244,376

Expanding Livestock Processing for Rural Alabama

Weaver Meat Processing is a third-generation, family-owned and -operated processing facility in 

Hartselle, Alabama. They specialize in fresh and smoked meat products, including processing emus 

under Federal inspection and custom-exempt cattle and hogs for more than 900 local producers. As a 

result of this USDA funding, Weaver Meat Processing will purchase multiple types of equipment, 

including a mixer/grinder, vacuum stuffer, horizontal slicer, and a patty machine, to increase their 

processing capacity by 200% and serve an anticipated 400 more producers with fee-for-service 

processing. Weaver Meat Processing will house the equipment in a new 6,000-square-foot addition to 

their existing facility. Funding will also allow Weaver Meat Processing to transition their cattle and hog 

processing to USDA inspection.

California 

Recipient: Five Marys Custom Meat Co. 

City: Fort Jones

District: CA-01 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Expanding Capacity in Northern California to Compost Animal Carcass Waste and Increase 

Value-Added Processing

Five Marys Custom Meat Co is a federally inspected facility in rural Northern California that provides 

further meat processing services for local lamb, beef, and pork producers. Funding from USDA will 

support the purchase of composting equipment that will effectively manage the processing byproducts 
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from these animals, a waste stream that accounts for roughly half the weight of each animal processed. 

Using drum-style composters, Five Marys will divert approximately 1,000 pounds of animal byproducts 

per week away from the landfill and into compost, providing a new revenue stream to the facility and 

eliminating the need to make a three-hour drive to the landfill multiple times per week. This increase in 

efficiency will allow Five Marys to provide processing services to an estimated ten additional producers 

in the region, increasing the processing capacity for locally produced meat by 30%, reducing carcass 

waste by 225 tons annually, and producing soil amending fertilizer as an environmental benefit.

Recipient: Bud’s Custom Meats

City: Penngrove

District: CA-004

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $248,783.11

Expanding and Upgrading Cold Storage Capacity to Meet the Needs of Local and Regional 

Producers 

Bud's Custom Meats is a family-owned, Federally-inspected facility located in Northern California's 

Sonoma County, surrounded by productive pasture lands and many small and mid-sized farms and

ranches that raise quality beef, pork, and lamb. With the grant funding, Bud’s Custom Meats will expand

its cold storage capacity by 63%, thereby matching the plant’s cold storage to its other processing 

capacity and supporting an overall expansion in processing services provided to local producers. As a 

result of this project, Bud's Custom Meats anticipates expanding its throughput of local beef, pork, and 

lamb by 180,000 pounds annually and serving an additional 60 local farmers and ranchers.

Recipient: Redwood Meat Co., Inc.

City: Eureka

District: CA-2

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $197,889.78

Redwood Meat Company Meat Processing and Post-Production Cold Storage Equipment 

Upgrades 

Redwood Meat Company is a family-owned and certified Organic processing facility in Eureka, California 

that has been in business for over 50 years. It is the only USDA-inspected facility that offers both 

slaughter and processing services within a 250-mile radius, processing many types of livestock including 

beef, hogs, lambs, and goats. Redwood Meat Company will use Local MCap funding to purchase 

equipment that will allow the company to streamline its overall processing and packaging services that it 

provides to local producers. Equipment purchases include a new grinder for producing ground meats 

and an upgraded vacuum sealer that will increase processing efficiency by 50% while also improving 

quality and safety. These equipment improvements and upgrades will allow local producers to reach 

25% more customers and consumers through farmers' markets, food co-ops, restaurants, schools, and 

direct sales across Northern California and Southern Oregon.
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Colorado 

Recipient: Colorado Homestead Ranches, Inc. 

City: Delta 

District: CO-3 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Homestead Natural Meats Increased Capacity and Processing Equipment for Western 

Colorado Producers 

Colorado Homestead Ranches dba Homestead Natural Meats is a locally owned and operated Federally 

inspected facility selling to customers in western Colorado and eastern Utah since 1995. In 2021, 

Homestead Natural Meats purchased additional packing facility space to expand processing operations 

of beef, pork, lamb, goat, and value-added products. Funding from Local MCap will allow Homestead 

Natural Meats to purchase grinders and stuffers and efficiently produce value-added products such as 

sausages and snack sticks on behalf of the local farmers and ranchers they serve. The equipment 

purchases will allow Homestead Natural Meats to increase their processing capacity by 40% and serve 

an additional 100 small-scale producers, thereby addressing the existing processing bottleneck and 

creating additional jobs benefiting the local community.

Connecticut 

Recipient: Plymouth Meats LLC 

City: Terryville 

District: CT-005

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $178,982.74

Increasing Processing Availability and Value-Added Product Variety for 120 New England 

Livestock Producers 

Plymouth Meats is a woman-owned facility that processes beef, hogs, lamb, and goats and serves 120 

farms annually across Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. It is the only USDAinspected facility in Connecticut to harvest, process, and smoke all amenable livestock species under 

one roof. With this USDA funding, Plymouth Meats will purchase a new smoker, slicer, and vacuum 

sealer to increase total processing capacity by 10%, double its current sausage production, and offer 

four new product choices (hot dogs, smoked kielbasa, smoked sausages, and ready-to-eat snack sticks). 

This will result in over 50,000 more pounds of local meat being available for consumers and the 

increased revenue from equipment modernization will also enable Plymouth Meats to bring two parttime employees on full-time and make one additional hire.
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Georgia 

Recipient: Grateful Pastures LLC 

City: Mansfield 

District: GA-010

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $235,607.99

Expanding Value-Added Meat Services for Local Farmers 

Grateful Pastures is a Federally inspected facility specializing in bone broth cook and pack services for 

farmers across the southeast United States. With support from USDA, Grateful Pastures will expand its 

bone broth cooking capacity and diversify into offering fat rendering, jerky, and cured meat services for 

small farmers across the region, helping them sell hard-to-move cuts while limiting the amount of waste 

and byproducts created during processing. By expanding current capacity and service offerings, Grateful 

Pastures expects to work with an additional 50 small farms and ranches.

Idaho

Recipient: Oxford Packing LLC 

City: Downey

District: ID-002

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: 250,000

Oxford Packing Equipment Project 

Oxford Packing is a Federally inspected livestock processing plant serving producers across Idaho, Utah, 

Wyoming, and Nevada. They recently underwent an expansion that has led to a bottleneck in freezer 

space and smoker capacity, and they can no longer meet production requests. With Local MCap support, 

Oxford Packing will purchase a freezer that allows them to triple their storage capacity as well as a new 

smoker for producing bacon, ham, jerky, hot dogs, and other products under USDA inspection. These 

purchases will relieve the production bottlenecks in their operation and allowing Oxford Packing to 

serve an additional 200 producers and process an additional 700 head of livestock per year.

Indiana 

Recipient: Prime Cut 41 LLC 

City: Veedersburg

District: IN-4 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Increasing Capacity and Efficiency While Reducing Repetitive Labor and the Carbon Footprint 

at Prime Cut 41

Prime Cut 41 is a state-inspected livestock processing facility and retail outlet serving over 400 small 

farms in western Indiana and eastern Illinois, rural areas with limited access to grocery stores. In 

response to overwhelming demand from producers for wrapping value-added products like meat sticks 

and bratwursts, Prime Cut 41 will use Local MCap funding to automate cutting, vacuum packaging, and 
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equipment washing to increase their capacity and efficiency by 50% while reducing repetitive labor.

These equipment additions will allow Prime 41 to work with an additional 25 small livestock producers, 

improve working conditions for employees, and enhance the facility’s cleanliness and overall food 

safety.

Iowa

Recipient: Elma Locker and Grocery Inc. 

City: Elma

District: IA-002 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $241,172.00

Elma Locker: Enhancing Iowa’s Meat Processing and Slaughter Capabilities with Upgraded 

Equipment

Elma Locker & Grocery is a state-inspected processor in Iowa committed to enhancing local meat 

production and fortifying the rural food ecosystem by providing livestock processing, ready-to-eat 

processing, and raw further processing, serving many consumers and businesses within a 200-mile 

radius. Elma Locker & Grocery will utilize Local MCap funding to invest in advanced equipment for the 

smokehouse, processing floor, packaging, and mixer-grinder operations. As a result, they anticipate

weekly processing will increase from 18 to 24 beef and 20 to 30 pork, allowing them to accommodate 

and additional 132 local, small, and independent producers. 

Kansas 

Recipient: Meade Locker & Processing, LLC 

City: Meade

District: KS-001

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Meade Locker and Processing, LLC: Boosting Kansas’ Livestock Slaughter Capabilities with 

Improved Packaging Solutions 

Meade Locker & Processing, LLC is a state-inspected livestock processing facility that opened in 2020 

and now serves over 500 small and independent local farmers within a 200-mile radius. Local MCap 

funding will support upgrading key areas, including packaging equipment, floor processing apparatus, 

and refrigeration units, to enable a nearly 200% increase in beef and pork processing while facilitating

safer processing practices. This project will create 4-5 new jobs in the local rural economy while 

contributing to the community's local food system and uplifting local farmers.
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Recipient: MD UHL dba Allen Meat Processing LLC

City: Allen

District: KS-002

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $139,429.38

Allen Meat Processing – Equipment Upgrade & Capacity Improvement 

MD UHL dba Allen Meat Processing LLC is a small state-inspected meat and poultry processing facility 

based in Allen, KS, committed to serving producers, providing high-quality protein sources at affordable 

prices, and enhancing regional food security. Through this award, Allen Meat Processing will significantly 

upgrade its meat processing capacity, streamline operations, and improve food safety by procuring a 

tandem grinder and vacuum stuffer. These additions will increase efficiency by an estimated 75% and 

allow Allen Meat Processing to meet the growing demands of local meat producers and consumers. This 

project will enhance the local agricultural economy by serving an additional 20 local producers and 

create six new job opportunities within the community. 

Recipient: Simon Meat Locker LLC

City: Olsburg

District: KS-001

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $241,500

Expanding Locally-Sourced Meat Processing Capacity in North Central Kansas 

Simon Meat Locker is a family-owned, state-inspected processing facility serving 180 farmers and 

ranchers in North Central Kansas. Simon Meat Locker provides fee-based meat processing services with 

a current capacity of 520 head per year for local livestock producers. With support from USDA, Simon 

Meat Locker will increase freezer space by 100%, quadruple processing efficiency for ground meats and 

sausages, improve worker safety and humane animal treatment, and upgrade their smoker to allow for 

more and better value-added production. These equipment upgrades will increase processing capacity 

by 416 head per year, allowing Simon Meat Locker to serve 20 new producers in the region.

Recipient: Moeders Meats

City: WaKeeney

District: KS-001 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $175,755

Project Title: Moeders Meats Plan Modernization

Moeders Meats is a state-inspected facility offering slaughter and fabrication services of beef hogs, 

goats, sheep, and bison to producers and retail customers in the surrounding 15 counties. With support 

from USDA, Moeders Meats will upgrade existing equipment, much of which is original to the 40-yearold facility, across the harvesting, processing, cold storage, and value-added lines within the facility. The 

equipment upgrades will increase efficiency and humane handling, improve product quality, and 

facilitate the production of new products all while growing processing capacity by 50%. As a result of 

this award, Moeders projects it will serve an additional 75 - 100 local farmers and ranchers, purchase 

200-300% more products from local producers, and sell into 3-5 additional locally owned retail outlets.
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Recipient: Rainbow Organic Farms dba Good Natured Family Farms 

City: Bronson

District: KS-002

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $169,881.96

A Small USDA-Inspected Meat Processing Plant and Local Beef Cooperative to Increase the 

Market Share of Grass-Fed Ground Beef in Supermarkets

Rainbow Organic Farms dba Good Natured Family Farms is a Federally-inspected processing facility that 

purchases beef from the All-Natural Beef Cooperative, of which they are a producer member, for sale of 

grass-fed beef into local restaurants, supermarkets and directly to consumers. This award will allow 

Good Natured Family Farms to purchase additional cold storage capacity while upgrading their slaughter 

and packaging equipment. Over the two-year grant period, Good Natured Family Farms expects to

increase their processing capacity by 10 cattle per week, or 500 heads of beef per year, equal to 

approximately 300,000 lbs. of grass-fed ground beef. In turn, this will allow Good Natured Family Farms 

to expand their grass-fed beef program into more supermarkets and provide another consistent market 

for ANB cooperative's small family farm beef program.

Recipient: Krehbiels Specialty Meats, Inc.

City: McPherson

District: KS-001

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Krehbiels Meat Processing Equipment Upgrade 

Krehbiels Specialty Meats is a second-generation, family-owned livestock and poultry processing facility 

that has been operating since 1978. It seeks to bolster local meat production, community sustainability, 

and local economic development through strategic enhancements in processing capacity and efficiency

and improved product quality. Funds from USDA will address capacity challenges by acquiring and 

installing a brine injector, smokehouse, patty machine, and meat slicer to amplify co-packing capacities 

and curing capabilities, providing increased capacity and higher yields for local producers. This project

will result in a 25% increase in overall processing capacity, creating between 10 to 20 new jobs.

Louisiana 

Recipient: Steward Processing, Inc. 

City: Pioneer 

District: LA-005

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $202,963.46

A Small Custom Exempt Beef/Pork Slaughter/Processing Facility Obtaining a State-Inspected 

Certification will Upgrade Equipment, Capacity, and add Value-Added Products. 

Steward Processing is a small custom-exempt beef and pork processing facility in Northeast Louisiana, 

working toward its state inspection. The new equipment will allow more than 50 additional producers to 

have their beef processed locally and under their private label at a state-inspected facility, allowing 

them to retail their products and increase their profits. Producers will be able to have their beef and 
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pork processed into value-added products such as jerky and smoked sausages. The new equipment will 

also increase freezer capacity by 50% and protect products during a power outage.

Maine 

Recipient: Short Creek Meats LLC 

City: Kennebunk 

District: ME-001

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $249,615

Expanding the Capacity of Short Creek Meats’ Ready-to-Eat Packaging Line 

Short Creek Meats is a small, federally inspected livestock and poultry processor specializing in artisanal 

value-added products such as sausages, bacon, and salami. The company markets a product line of meat 

sourced from its nearby partner farm and provides processing services to other New England livestock 

producers. Short Creek Meats will use grant funds to expand the capacity of its ready-to-eat packaging 

line and improve material handling capabilities. Short Creek Meats will source livestock for its products 

from up to five additional local farms and raise production volume by 70%, significantly increasing the 

amount of local pork in the supply chain. The company will expand its co-packing operations, serving 

over 50 local producers annually and increasing the quantity of meat and poultry processed by 150%. 

Greater packaging efficiency will reduce per-unit labor costs and increase company profitability, 

allowing Short Creek Meats to pass cost savings on to livestock producers in the form of lower 

processing fees.

Maryland 

Recipient: Yoder’s Butcher Barn 

City: Grantsville 

District: MD-006 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $174,285.77

Yoder’s Butcher Barn: Bolstering Maryland’s Livestock Slaughter Capabilities Through 

Modernized Meat Processing 

Yoder's Butcher Barn, a Maryland-based livestock processing business, is owned and operated by thirdgeneration butchers and specializes in livestock slaughter services for its community. Yoder's Butcher 

Barn works with approximately 139 local, independent farmers and processes 5-6 beef per week. 

Yoder's Butcher Barn intends to use grant funds to enhance meat processing capabilities, improve rural 

food access, and add economic value for local farmers. It will upgrade beef and pork processing 

equipment, including the smokehouse, linker, mixer-grinder, patty machine, and saws. Planned 

upgrades include the replacement of a 30-year-old power bandsaw and mixer grinder and introducing 

new equipment such as a vacuum tumbler, a patty former, and a full-size sausage linker. These 

improvements will significantly enhance production capabilities, allowing for double weekly beef and 

pork output. In addition to improving processing efficiency, this project will create 3-4 new jobs, 

expanding the team from 3 to 6-7 full-time employees. It is estimated that the increased production 

capacity will allow livestock sourcing from an additional 28 farmers. Focusing on a geographic area 

within 200 miles of the Maryland location, Yoder's Butcher Barn is committed to creating a more 
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sustainable, local meat supply chain that directly benefits farmers and meets the increasing consumer 

demand for locally sourced meat. The proposed upgrades will provide a positive ripple effect in the rural 

community, stimulating economic growth and promoting food security through improved access to local 

meat products.

Massachusetts

Recipient: Stillman Quality Meats, LLC 

City: Hardwick 

District: MA-002

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $188,176.57

Equipment to Increase Meat Processing Services and Capacity for Small Underserved 

Producers in Rural Massachusetts.

Stillman Quality Meats, LLC is a woman-owned, state-inspected meat and poultry facility founded in 

2006. It specializes in direct-to-consumer sales of grass-fed meat products and offers its red meat and 

poultry processing services to small and medium-sized producers in Massachusetts and the greater New 

England region. Grant funds will be used to improve meat processing by expanding processing services 

and capacity by acquiring new energy-efficient processing equipment. The facility needs a dual chamber 

vacuum sealer, electric sausage stuffer, commercial smoking oven, and walk-in freezer unit. Stillman 

Quality Meats, LLC expects to expand annual processing capacity from 100 up to 350 producers, 

equaling approximately 250,000 lbs. of meat and poultry products; develop new value-added and 

smoke-treated processing services for producers, creating 25-40 new product options; streamline 

processing production and improve operational efficiency in the facility by increasing processing output 

by 50%; increase food quality and food safety for products by utilizing new equipment to update the 

HACCP and food safety plan to meet new USDA standards; reduce the carbon footprint of processing 

operations by reducing annual electrical consumption by 20-30%; maintain 20 processing jobs and 

create ten new high wage processing jobs for workers in the community and will improve work 

conditions and pay rates for current employees. Stillman Quality Meats, LLC will use the business’ preexisting assets and relationships with the USDA, state regulatory agencies, local business partners, and 

small farm networks to maximize the impacts of this project.

Minnesota 

Recipient: Waseca Morgan's Meat Market LLC 

City: Waseca

District: MN-01

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Waseca Morgan’s Meats Capacity Expansion: Feeding Southern Minnesota/Northern Iowa 

with Value-Added Equipment 

Waseca Morgan's Meat Market LLC is a small, family-owned, federally inspected beef and pork 

processing-only facility that provides meat processing services for retail and local distribution to over 

100 farmers; with this grant funding, a smokehouse and vacuum stuffer will be added, increasing worker 

safety from the present smokehouse and reducing the cleaning time from 3 days to 4 hours, and double 
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the increased processing capacity but only require one-third of the cycling time to produce that amount. 

The new smokehouse is self-cleaning, and the new vacuum stuffer will make more sausages with the 

vacuum and provide an even product with fewer air bubbles and better consistency, giving the customer 

a superior product. This equipment will produce an additional 60,000 pounds of processed smoke 

products, reduce the wait time for customers seeking specialty products, add 2 full-time positions, and 

assist in adding 10 small producers. The expected generated income will result in an additional $1.4M 

for the local community, which is presently struggling.

Missouri 

Recipient: J&J Processing 

City: Pierce City

District: MO-07 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $249,982

Value-Added Equipment for J&J Processing 

J&J Processing is a custom-exempt beef, hog, and deer harvesting and processing facility working toward 

its CIS inspection in 2024. J&J Processing provides services to over 1,700 consumers and 650 livestock 

producers in a nine-county region in Southwest Missouri, processing 1,600 animals annually. J&J 

Processing proposes using grant funds to purchase new equipment to decrease plant bottlenecks and 

improve processing efficiencies. The new equipment will enhance inefficiencies and increase plant 

processing and smoking capacity, enabling J&J Processing to increase weekly processing by two cattle 

and two hogs for an annual increase of 70,000 pounds of beef and 20,000 pounds of pork, which will 

allow them to serve an additional 20 producers and support two new full-time employees. The 

equipment will also expand fresh meat cut options and value-added products offered to customers. 

New product offerings include beef polish sausage, beef summer sausage, snack sticks, beef jerky, and 

thinly shaved lunch meats.

Recipient: Princeton Custom Meats 

City: Princeton

District: MO-006

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $131,956.12

Equipment to Update Small Processing Facility to Become State-Inspected for New 

Opportunities in Rural Missouri 

Princeton Custom Meats is a small family-owned meat processing facility in rural Northern Missouri, rich 

in agriculture and small-town values. Princeton Custom Meats has been operating since 2013 under the 

Custom-Exempt inspection with quality, transparency, and safety values. With new ownership in 2023, 

the facility is being updated to meet the standards of the Missouri Meat and Poultry State Inspection 

Program (MMPI) standards. The goal to be MMPI started after many conversations with consumers and 

producers that showed a genuine need for a state-inspected facility in the area. This will open new 

markets for many producers, increasing their profits and the sustainability of their operations. Current 

processing, fabricating, and cold storage equipment will need to be upgraded, and additional equipment 

will be bought to provide new products. The funds for the equipment requested will increase food 

safety and worker safety in the sanitation/cleaning process, fabricating, and value-added products. This 
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equipment will also support the cost-effectiveness of operating to keep the product at a price that the 

local community can support and will help increase weekly capacity.

Recipient: Clark’s Custom Meat Co.

City: St. Joseph

District: MO-006

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Clark’s Custom Meat Co. Equipment Grant Opportunity 2023 

Clark's Custom Meat Co. is a family-owned and operated custom meat plant in St. Joseph, Missouri, 

providing animal processing services to over 200 livestock producers in Northwestern Missouri and 

Northeastern Kansa since 2003. With the support of the grant, the project aims to enhance operations 

and meet the growing needs of livestock producers and customers. Purchasing a sausage linker 

attachment for the meat stuffer is essential to increase production capacity and efficiency. This 

automation will streamline the sausage product, increasing output and productivity. A vacuum stuffer 

and double clip system will be purchased to increase ground meat production with greater efficiency 

and accuracy. This will improve the general satisfaction of producers, consumers, and plant employees 

with increased interest in inspected meat products. Additionally, there will be an investment in a larger 

smokehouse to increase cooked product throughput, diversify offerings, and cater to various customer 

preferences. By implementing this equipment, there will be an increase in the number of local livestock 

producers served of up to 24 new producers and an increase in animal throughput of 200 head annually. 

These upgrades will enhance production capacity, improve worker safety, and increase product 

diversity. This is a commitment to maintaining a resilient food supply chain and contributing to the 

economic stability and prosperity of the community.

Recipient: Paradise Locker Inc.

City: Trimble

District: MO-006

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Paradise Locker Inc. Supports Local Producers with Increased Capacity for Sausage and Hot 

Dog Production 

Paradise Locker Inc. operates a full-scale slaughter to further processing in a family-owned USDAinspected facility that harvests nearly 15,000 heads of livestock and almost 6 million pounds of finished 

meat products annually. This is almost exclusively for 330 small producers, including veteran-owned 

producers. The grant funds will support local producers by increasing their capacity to produce valueadded sausage-type products and their margins. To accomplish this goal, two pieces of equipment will 

be added to automate the stuffing line, increasing capacity by 500% or 1.25 million pounds annually. 

This increased capacity allows producers to market an estimated 2,000 head per year.
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Montana 

Recipient: S Ranch Meats, LLC 

City: Hardin 

District: MT-002

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Increasing the Safety and Quality of Packaged, Value-Added Beef Products for Producers and 

Consumers 

S Ranch Meats (“SRM”) is a federally inspected livestock processing facility and beef retail store that 

offers custom-cut services to local producers in addition to selling locally produced, ranch-raised beef 

through its retail store on the Crow Indian Reservation, an area long-suffering from historically high 

unemployment and poverty rates. By purchasing updated packaging equipment, SRM will improve plant 

efficiency and increase the safety, variety, and quality of local Montana producers’ beef products. Grant 

funding will allow SRM to offer local producers the same or better product quality currently available at 

internationally owned facilities by purchasing a supervac system and a stuffer. In addition, this 

equipment will allow producers to select from a wide variety of beef product offerings. The efficiency of 

new equipment will enable SRM to increase the number of cattle it currently processes from 750 to 850 

head annually and serve an additional 50 producers. SRM has deep roots in this community and has

created ten jobs since its founding in 2020 and will create an additional two jobs after the purchase of 

equipment from the grant funds.

Recipient: Hamilton Pack LLC 

City: Hamilton 

District: MT-01 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Hamilton Pack Collaboration with Small, Rural, Local Livestock Producers to Build Capacity 

Through the Purchase of Mutually Beneficial Equipment

Hamilton Pack (HP) LLC is a rural state-inspected processing facility serving Ravalli County and three 

other contiguous Montana counties. Hamilton Pack LLC currently processes 1,000 animals annually and 

specializes in processing beef, sheep, hogs, lamb, goats, and yak. The grant funds will increase HP LLC’s 

local processing capacity to 1,500 head by purchasing a patty machine and a new smoker. The patty 

machine will increase HP’s capacity from 30 lbs. to 1,000 lbs. per hour. Efficiency will increase, improved 

worker ergonomics will occur, and HP will be able to sell more local beef, hogs, and sheep by supplying 

them to local grocery markets. HP presently smokes a variety of products, but the smoker is old; there is 

too much waste, and the temperature is difficult to control. With a higher profit margin, the new 

smoker will increase the value-added products offered, such as ham and bacon. HP LLC has relationships 

with 20 producers and can also foster new ranchers. HP LLC commits to providing planned purchasing

and fair prices; the producers will provide consistent quality and on-time delivery. Rural ranchers can 

sell their products to a reliable, local buyer, which makes their operation more profitable and 

economically viable and transportation more environmentally sound.
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Nevada

Recipient: Fallon Livestock Processing, LLC 

City: Fallon 

District: NV-02

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Revitalizing Tradition: Transforming an Antiquated Livestock Processing Plant into a 

Modernized Facility 

Fallon Livestock Processing, LLC is a federally inspected small for-profit meat processor and butcher 

shop in rural Western Nevada. In this area, livestock producers face tremendous local supply chain 

challenges. Fallon Livestock Processing will remedy this dire need by using grant funds to expand its 

business by increasing the processing capacity of its facility by 50%. This project aims to modernize and 

increase processing capacity and provide better processing options to local livestock producers by 

updating older, inefficient equipment and purchasing new special-purpose equipment such as a new 

processing oven, vacuum stuffer, grinder, mixer, and meat slicer. The expected outcome will provide 

critical access to meat storage services to at least ten additional producers, contributing an additional 

221,260 pounds of meat processed and sold into local markets during the project period.

New Mexico

Recipient: SPR Custom Processing

City: Portales 

District: NM-003

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $241,489

Muleshoe Meat Processing Equipment Upgrades & Retail Outlet 

SPR Custom Processing, LLC is a state-inspected livestock processing facility and is the parent company 

of Muleshoe Meat Processing in Muleshoe, Texas. It processes livestock from the local region’s 

producers to sell or raise for retail and wholesale sales processing. SPR Custom Processing, LLC plans to 

open a retail store at the current location of the processing plant to sell a wide variety of products, 

including beef, lamb, and pork. The company works with a collaborative of local ranchers to process 

meat for online sales through its website. It sells to all areas of Texas and provides meat delivery 

through shipment services or direct delivery through refrigerated/freezer trucks. The grant funds will 

replace much of the used and outdated critical meat processing equipment that causes stoppage and 

costly repairs. The project will allow producers to increase the number of livestock heads that are 

processed and available for retail or wholesale markets, increase the number of employees at the 

processing/retail location to increase the economic impact in the Muleshoe, TX area, and allow for 

expansion of the meat processing capacity at the location. The goal is to increase the availability of 

quality, grass-fed, no-chemically added meat and meat products to the western Texas region.
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New York

Recipient: Keith Schrader dba Schrader Farms 

City: Romulus

District: NY-024

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Investing in Equipment to Increase Efficiency, Improve Safety, and Meet Customer Demand at 

Schrader Farms 

Schrader Farms is a family-owned farm and USDA-inspected meat processing facility in Romulus, NY. 

Opened in 2012, the 10,000 sq. ft. facility employs four full-time and five part-time workers and 

processes an average of 15 cows and 24 pigs per week (approximately 2,000 head annually). 100% of 

the animals processed in the facility are locally raised/procured, and many of the farms identify as 

veteran-owned, woman-owned, and Native-owned businesses. With a solid commitment to customer 

satisfaction, animal welfare, and superior quality products, the business continues to experience 

increasing demand from a dedicated (and growing) customer base. However, as with many processing 

facilities, Schrader Farms currently has more service requests than capacity to meet that demand. To 

address capacity limitations, improve safety and efficiency, and increase the number of customers 

served, Schrader’s will update and upgrade several core pieces of equipment at the facility, including the 

slicer, bandsaw, emulsifying machine, hot dog peeler, and labeling machine. This equipment will 

automate manual processes and speed up production while creating a safer and more efficient work 

environment for staff. By making these upgrades, Schrader Farms will be able to serve up to 25 more 

farmers per year (including beginning and limited-resources farmers), increase value-added production 

capacity by 25%, improve workplace safety and efficiency, and hire an additional two employees.

Recipient: 101 Skills LLC 

City: Brooklyn

District: NY-007

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $234,853.08 

Expanding the Operations of The Meat Hook to Better Serve New York Farmers and 

Consumers 

101 Skills LLC dba The Meat Hook has led the quality meat movement in Brooklyn for over two decades, 

connecting New York State's best farmers with chefs, home cooks, and eco-conscious eaters from its 

family-owned livestock operation. The Meat Hook offers processing, marketing, and distribution 

channels for livestock producers and a high-margin retail outlet for produce farmers and local food 

businesses. This project aims to expand storage, display, meat processing, and curing services. This 

funding will allow strategic equipment purchases needed to increase cold storage capacity and 

efficiencies by 20%, display more local meat and other food products for longer, resulting in a scale-up 

of local meat, produce, and VAP food purchases from local producers; diversify and scale value-added 

offerings to include more ready-to-eat meat products better suited for direct-to-consumer, wholesale 

markets, and institutional markets. This will create more direct-to-consumer opportunities, elevate food 

safety and processing protocols, and model a successful direct-to-market local food pathway for local 

meat and more. The distribution of more meat products through market channels brings processing 

closer to farmers, resulting in greater connectivity and transparency for diverse consumers. Through the 
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scale-up and diversification of the product line, more consumers will understand the farm community to 

support and retain local farming operations.

Oklahoma

Recipient: Cherokee Nation 

City: Tahlequah

District: OK-002 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $239,675.62

1839 Cherokee Meat Co. Processing Throughput and Efficiency Increases Project 

1839 Cherokee Meat Co. was created after the Cherokee Nation Chief and Tribal Council called for its 

construction to spur economic development through agricultural programs while directly addressing 

food security through sustainable and locally sourced meat in Oklahoma. 1839 Cherokee Meat Co. plans 

to purchase essential equipment to increase the workforce's efficiency across the plant process, 

allowing for a more continuous flow of meat products that is safer and easier. This equipment will 

increase throughput by 10% year-over-year for three years and enable additional newer meat 

processing offerings for clients and purchases to the public. The grant project will expand the current 9% 

capacity in producing meat, hamburger, and sausage products in-house to 55% capacity by the end of 

the grant period. 1839 Cherokee Meat Co. plans to go from 26% efficiency in producing cattle and ham 

products in-house to 78% efficiency by the end of the grant period. The 1839 Cherokee Meat Co. 

Processing project will help facilitate informed decision-making by the Cherokee Nation regarding the 

facility's operation and the marketing of its meat and meat products toward realizing an economic 

future that also achieves tribal food security goals.

Oregon

Recipient: Meating Place, LLC 

City: Hillsboro 

District: OR-01

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Increasing the Volume of State-Inspected Products from The Meating Place with New 

Processing and Packaging Equipment 

The Meating Place is a full-service retail shop and a custom-exempt beef, hog, sheep, and wild game 

processing facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. Both exist in the same physical building, with crossover 

employees. The shop sells high-end cuts of locally sourced meats and curing and smoking all its 

sausages. The custom shop processes local livestock for ranchers and wild game for hunters and 

includes the operation of a custom-exempt mobile unit. The custom shop also processes beef from its 

state-inspected facility. The Meating Place is a large volume meat market serving 3,000 customers per 

week. Oregon needs more inspected meat processors, and The Meating Place is positioned to fill this 

vacuum. The Meating Place serves 250 ranches with custom processing but would be able to increase 

inspected processing to 290 ranches, a 14% increase if awarded this grant. The Meating Place has also 

established processing and cold storage space to increase inspected processing volume by 70% and 

value-added items by 33%. The Meating Place would purchase three new pieces of equipment with 
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grant funds, including a mixer/mincer machine, meat portioning machine, and roll stock machine. With 

expanded inspected meat processing, The Meating Place could provide more locally raised meat to the 

Oregon marketplace, including farmer’s markets, food trucks, local distributors and stores, and 

restaurants. This would increase access for small/medium-sized and underserved ranches to inspected 

processing by 40 and increase add ten new employees to accommodate the influx of inspected meat 

processing.

Pennsylvania 

Recipient: Rettland Farm LLC 

City: Gettysburg

District: PA-013 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $142,186

Processing Convenience Foods to Benefit Small Farmers in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Rettland Farm LLC is a federally inspected meat and poultry processing facility, currently processing over 

21,000 animals annually, including beef, hogs, lamb, broiler chickens, and turkeys. They specialize in 

poultry slaughter and processing, fabrication and further processing of red meat species, and curing and 

smoking meat and poultry products. Consumer demand for convenience foods, including ready-to-eat 

foods, broths, and rendered fats, has increased over the last four decades and is projected to continue 

to experience substantial growth. Small livestock and poultry farms in the Mid-Atlantic region should 

have market access to this critical, potentially lucrative sales and revenue growth source. There 

currently needs to be more USDA-inspected processors in the area with the ability to produce these 

products for these farms. Rettland Farm LLC will expand its existing USDA establishment and use these 

grant funds to purchase two pieces of state-of-the-art meat processing equipment. This will allow it to 

implement new processes to produce ready-to-eat and other convenience foods consumers seek. This 

new equipment and the resulting products will benefit an additional 20 small farmers in the region by 

adding value and diversity to their product lines through meat products that are highly sought by 

consumers, helping farmers to access the growing demand in this critical market sector and allow 

Rettland Farm LLC to increase processing capacity by 25,000 pounds annually.

Puerto Rico

Recipient: La Milagrosa Farm LLC

City: San German

District: PR-001

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Southwest Meat Processing Industries 

La Milagrosa Farm LLC plans to purchase and install new highly specialized equipment in the processing 

plant facility through the funding opportunity. The processing plant is in the municipality of San Germán, 

in Puerto Rico. This project will provide an alternative market for small farmers and producers, 

specifically those located in the southwest area of the island–hence the project name: Southwest Meat 

Processing Industries. The purchase of this equipment will diversify the product line and enable us to 

market new added-value products like burger patties, sausages, and meatballs. The project will also 
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increase production capacity and sales. La Milagrosa Farm LLC will be able to reach new available market 

opportunities within the Puerto Rico school system as well as with the local supermarket chains to 

whom we currently serve. The outcome of increased production and sales will directly measure the 

success of this project. La Milagrosa Farm LLC estimates expanding the number of cattle and pork 

processed annually, procured 100% from local farmers and producers. La Milagrosa Farm LLC will 

integrate poultry processing, benefiting many local poultry farmers from the island. The Southwest Meat 

Processing Industries’ project will secure and strengthen relationships with local producers, consumers, 

the community, and the Puerto Rican food chain.

South Dakota

Recipient: Dakota Pure Meats, LLC 

City: Wood

District: SD-26

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $237,678

Update Current Equipment and Provide New Equipment

Dakota Pure Meats was founded in 2019 by two bison ranching families in South Dakota, processing 

bison for several local producers who face historically high demand for bison meat and products. Dakota 

Pure Meats plans to purchase three critical pieces of equipment with the grant funds, including a new 

patty machine, allowing production at a higher volume with an increased efficiency rate. This will enable 

other bison farms to expand their herds and their markets. A stuffer will allow additional products from 

Dakota Pure Meats facilities to be offered and sold. Finally, a smokehouse will be purchased to expand 

their value-added product offering by the thousands. The increase in products will open doors to more 

wholesalers, local restaurants, and grocery stores.

Washington 

Recipient: Island Grown Farmer’s Cooperative 

City: Burlington

District: WA-002

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $237,115.05

Island Grown Farmers Cooperative Processing and Slaughter Equipment Expansion Project in 

Rural Northwest Washington 

Island Grown Farmer’s Cooperative (“IGFC”) is a farmer-owned co-op in rural northwest Washington 

that provides USDA-inspected beef, lamb, hog, and goat processing. The co-op offers these services to 

its 75 members, who are all small farms in the 5 Washington counties of Skagit, San Juan, Island, 

Whatcom, and Snohomish. IGFC also provides the same services to non-members throughout the area. 

IGFC has been unable to keep up with the demand for its services for over five years and has recently 

built a new processing plant to meet this demand. IGFC uses a mobile processing unit (MPU) to process 

livestock to member farms. IGFC has initiated the construction of an on-site processing floor adjacent to 

the processing plant to increase output. This addition will significantly increase throughput and provide 

much-needed redundancy to operations. IGFC is requesting funding to purchase specialized equipment 

for the processing room and floor to increase staff efficiency and safety. These items include gates and 
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panels for humane livestock handling, a compressed air system with trimmers, a hog scalder, a trim lift, 

and other critical equipment. All these items are essential to IGFC’s efforts to expand operations. They 

will allow IGFC to increase current output by 40% from 2,500 head per year to over 3,500 per year and 

to provide USDA-inspected processing of beef, hogs, lamb, and goats to over 100 local farms in rural 

northwest Washington.

Recipient: Puget Sound Processing LLC 

City: Rochester 

District: WA-003

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $240,645

Puget Sound Processing LLC Equipment Purchase for Service Expansion 

Puget Sound Processing LLC is a federally inspected mobile slaughter unit that provides livestock 

processing of cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats for over 50 local farmers in 19 Washington State counties. 

With the grant funds, Puget Sound Processing LLC will purchase, assemble, and implement two 

complete sets of Powder River animal pens, sweeps, lanes, and squeeze chutes necessary to completely 

furnish two additional humane-emphasis mobile processing sites with complete service footprints that 

meet all federal guidelines to prevent service interruptions and prevent lengthy delays from the 

equipment transport and setup standard to mobile harvest. These sites, fully equipped with animal 

housing and handling equipment, will expand scheduled weekly harvest activity from 3 days up to 4-to 5 

days and increase the area of operation from one operating site that requires disassembly and 

reassembly at an alternate location to 3 operation-ready operating sites to ensure greater accessibility 

for growers in areas of Washington that presently lack USDA processing options or must travel great 

distances to harvest their animals. Puget Sound Processing LLC will purchase a new skid steer tractor 

and a lightly used skid steer tractor to station permanently at each new site to facilitate safe offload and 

positioning of the hog scalding unit and also to move large products and facilitate daily site maintenance 

and animal feed transport activities.

West Virginia

Recipient: Flying W Farms, LLC 

City: Burlington

District: WV-02

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $172,970 

Increasing Flying W Farm’s Capacity to Supply Local Beef to Schools in West Virginia 

Flying W Farms, a small federally inspected meat processing facility in Mineral County, West Virginia, is a 

multi-generational family farm business that has operated for over 100 years. The proposed project plan 

will increase the meat processing capacity by purchasing three critical pieces of additional processing 

equipment, including an automatic feed grinder, mixer grinder, and conveyor. This will increase the sales 

amount and diversity of local beef products to 10 local West Virginia County school districts, many of 

which are economically distressed or at risk in areas of high poverty and low food access. It will also 

increase capacity for processing and demand for beef from local farmers. Area school districts want to 

support local food consumption by their students and are looking for high-quality local meat products 

that fit their limited budgets and cooking restraints. With the addition of the requested processing 

equipment, this project aims to increase Flying W Farm’s beef processing capacity by 20% and local 
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school purchasing by 300% by providing 40,000 pounds of beef items in ten school districts at a suitable 

price. Local cattle farmers will also benefit, with an increase of 67% in their cattle sales to Flying W Farm 

for beef processing to produce these high-quality products for schools due to increased cattle demand 

to 330 head. It will also double the number of local farms it buys from, from 25 to 51. Processing 

capacity, in general, will also be increased at the facility, which will allow more time slots for processing 

services to local cattle farmers.

Wisconsin 

Recipient: Nordik Meats, Inc. 

City: Viroqua 

District: WI-003

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $249,205 

Increasing Meat Processing Capacity and Variety of Value-Added Products to Benefit Local 

Midwest Producers 

Nordik Meats Inc. is a small, independently owned, USDA-inspected, organic-certified meat processing 

facility in Southwest Wisconsin. Its services include animal processing, custom meat cutting, smoking, 

rendering, and bone broth production for over 300 small family farms in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. 

Nordik Meats will expand its frozen storage space to increase meat processing throughput and harvest 

capacity to serve an additional 50 local producers. The plant will install new processing equipment to 

provide local producers with the ability to create new value-added products for local consumers, 

maximize the value of their animals, utilize byproducts, and increase animal harvest. Nordik Meats will 

increase the number of livestock processed annually by 100% over two years, increase frozen storage 

capacity by 25%, implement new processing technologies, train 12 existing staff, hire four new 

employees, and benefit over 350 local small family farms.

Recipient: Waterloo Poultry Processing, LLC dba Twin Cities Pack, Inc. 

City: Clinton 

District: WI-001

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $250,000

Modernizing Poultry Processing Facility to Increase Capacity, Efficiency, and Benefit Local 

Midwest Producers 

Waterloo Poultry Processing, LLC (DBA Twin Cities Pack Inc.) is a small, producer-owned, USDAinspected facility in Southern Wisconsin that customizes chicken, turkey, and pheasants. Twin Cities 

Pack provides high-quality poultry processing services, including custom cutting, packaging, and labeling, 

to nearly 500 unique customers annually. Its customers are local producers within a 200-mile radius of 

the facility, traveling from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. This processing facility is vital for 

local food producers and the regional Midwest food system. To increase capacity and serve more local 

producers, Twin Cities Pack needs two new pieces of modern, automated equipment to improve 

processing and packaging efficiency. The improved efficiency will allow for an overall increased harvest 

capacity of 33,600 birds annually, resulting in two new value-added product options for its customers. 

Twin Cities Pack will train ten existing staff to safely use new equipment, maintaining these positions. 

The project will benefit over 600 local, small family farms and homesteads.
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Wyoming

Recipient: 307 Meat Company

City: Laramie 

District: WY-001

Project Type: Simplified Equipment Only

Award Amount: $244,104

Increase Safety, Capacity, Quality, and Accuracy of Grinding and Cutting Ensuring Long-Term 

Sustainability and Growth 

307 Meat Company is a direct-to-consumer meat company with a unique focus on offering high-quality, 

locally sourced meat products. 307 Meat Company aims to revolutionize its meat processing facility by 

acquiring a state-of-the-art grinding line and meat portioning band saw. The key objectives are to 

enhance safety measures, increase grinding capacity, improve accuracy, raise product quality, and 

ultimately boost efficiency and profitability. By incorporating a second meat portioning band saw, the 

facility's slaughter capacity will rise from 40 to 60 heads per week. Integrating these cutting-edge 

technologies will enhance the facility's safety standards, processing capacity, and product quality and 

position it as an industry leader in terms of efficiency and profitability. It will also allow 307 Meat 

Company to grow its customer list from 953 to 1,544 producers served.