he Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has awarded $709,235 in 2022 Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing Grants to 15 recipients across Minnesota in its first year of operation.
The grant program aims to facilitate the start-up, modernization, or expansion of meat, poultry, egg, and milk processing businesses. The intent of the program is to increase sales of Minnesota-raised livestock products by investing in equipment and physical improvements that support processing, capacity, market diversification, and market access.
“The past couple years has clearly shown us the need for Minnesota farmers to have expanded options for processing their livestock and related products,” Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said. “This new grant helps butchers increase the resiliency of their processing and provides customers with increased access to fresh meat, poultry, egg, and milk products.”
Funding for this program is made available through the MDA’s Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout the state of Minnesota. The AGRI Program exists to advance Minnesota’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.
| Business Name | Award Amount | Project Summary | City | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Lake Butcher Shop, Inc. | $58,233.93 | Purchase an automatic labeler machine, new splitting saw and repair/replace freezer to increase capacity | South Haven | Wright |
| Jenniges Meat Processing, Inc | $100,000.00 | Expand a new facility with purchase of processing equipment including a rail system and smokehouses | Brooten | Stearns |
| Concord Fresh Meat Processing, Inc | $29,434.59 | Buy a hydraulic stuffer, shrink tunnel, poly top tables, vertical meat saw, and hog scalder and dehairer | South Saint Paul | Dakota |
| Lakes Processing, Inc. | $52,601.25 | Purchase equipment for smoking meat, bacon cutting, and meat wrapping | Detroit Lakes | Becker |
| Long Cheng, Inc. | $68,700.00 | Acquire chicken processing equipment and coolers | South Saint Paul | Dakota |
| K&S Poultry | $68,947.25 | Purchase cooler condensers and large animal processing equipment | Kerkhoven | Swift |
| Dennison Meat Locker, LLC | $21,000.00 | Physical improvements for kill room, processing room, outside freezer unit, and retail area | Dennison | Goodhue |
| Round Table Meats, LLC | $19,924.50 | Acquire a meat smoker and a refrigerated trailer | Goodview | Winona |
| Northern Pride, Inc. | $50,000.00 | Buy overwrap tray equipment | Thief River Falls | Pennington |
| Midwest Meats, LLC | $40,000.00 | Add a kill floor and purchase production equipment | New York Mills | Otter Tail |
| Elm Dale Creamery and Locker | $26,500.00 | Purchase a meat bulker, patty maker, meat grinder, meat saw, basket dollies, and platter dolly | Bowlus | Morrison |
| Schaefer’s Market | $75,000.00 | Acquire equipment to increase sausage production | Sauk Centre | Stearns |
| The Country Butcher, LLC | $23,481.00 | Purchase utensil washer, walk-in cooler, bone saw, and freezer | Madison | Lac qui Parle |
| Kenyon Meats | $62,912.50 | Convert freezer room into a dedicated sausage and hamburger room and purchase new equipment that will allow for faster, less labor-intensive, and safer processing and sterilizing | Kenyon | Goodhue |
| Kerkhoven Country Butcher | $12,500.00 | Buy walk-in freezer, walk-in cooler, and meat saw | Kerkhoven | Swift |
