U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director Erin Oban today joined NoDak Meats, LLC, and Lewis and Clark Development Group for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the upcoming opening on January 8, 2024, of the new meat processing facility in Steele, ND.
“One of the President’s top priorities has been to strengthen our country’s food supply chain by targeting federal resources into major gaps within it, especially those most impacting rural America,” said Oban. “USDA Rural Development awarded millions of dollars to intermediary lenders, including to the Lewis and Clark Development Group here in North Dakota, to make financing more available and accessible to meat processors. The opening of NoDak Meats in Steele is a perfect example of how the Administration’s priorities and our federal resources are investing in and benefiting our North Dakota communities, small, rural businesses, and the entire food supply chain – from producer to consumer.”
NoDak Meats, LLC, received a $623,833 loan from the Lewis and Clark Development Group, which was awarded grant funds from USDA Rural Development’s Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) to finance the start-up, expansion, or operation of slaughter or other processing of meat and poultry.
Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal, and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
