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 Michigan, projects funded this round include:
- BELLINGAR PACKING & ASSOCIATES INC., Ashley, $200,000. Bellingar Packing and Associates Inc. is a very small, slaughter and processing shop. Bellingar Packing and Associates is a family-owned business started in May 1977. They offer State Inspected slaughter and processing and produce various types of value-added and fresh cut meat products for retail and wholesale. Their annualized growth rate has been 40% recently, but the facility is lacking key modernization necessary to help achieve the USDA status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols.
- COUNTRY SMOKE HOUSE, Almont, $200,000. Country Smoke House is a family-owned beef, pork, and poultry processing business started in 1991. They offer Custom Exempt Processing services and produce various types of value-added and fresh cut meat products. While their growth has been +38% recently, the facility is lacking key upgrades and professional support to help achieve the USDA status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols. Country Smoke House proposes to add a modern, high-capacity packaging line, increase sanitary conditions, and engage with HACCP food safety expert. These efforts will benefit the business and local community.
- CLEAR WATER MEATS, Eau Claire, $200,000. Clear Water Meats is a very small beef, pork, and poultry processing plant. As a family-owned business started in 2015, they operate a 4,600-sq-ft facility with approximately 3 employees. Clear Water Meats offers State Inspected Processing services and produces various types of value-added and fresh cut meat products. While their annualized growth rate has been 50% recently, the facility is lacking key modernization necessary to help achieve the USDA status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols.
- Thomas Elliott, Jackson, $200,000. Thomas Elliott (Veritas Vineyard, LLC) proposes to increase the processing capacity of the Grand River Butcher facility and obtain a Federal Grant of Inspection from USDA. The facility modifications and federal inspection will allow them to increase volume, expand to new wholesale markets and help fill the demand of processing for farmers. The needed processing will grow local Michigan beef production by working closely with small farms and ranches to insure continued growth of Michigan beef and agriculture products.
- MARROW, Detroit, $200,000. Marrow is a small processing plant whose goal is to be an exemplary meat company that advances the ethical and sustainable meat movement in Michigan and the region. Marrow proposes upgrades to their value-added production to comply with FSIS protocols on production and safe handling while increasing capacity and a new smokehouse to comply with FSIS rules on food temperatures during processing. These efforts will benefit the business and local community through increasing food access in a historically underserved community. They will increase weekly production by 8 head equivalents to beef and 56 hogs. During the grant period, this will result in $3,307,200 pounds of new meat production meat capacity at their new facility.
- MERINDORF MEATS INC., Mason, $200,000. Merindorf Meats Inc. is a meat processing plant proposing to add a new smokehouse and snack stick cutter to boost value-added production and maintain compliance with FSIS protocols. The proposal also includes required facility improvements to walls, doors, and floor surfaces to meet FSIS specifications. Finally, Merindorf Meats Inc proposes retaining a food safety expert to develop their plans and oversee transition to USDA status.
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: Michigan, Livestock, Poultry