To increase production, Virginia-based poultry producer Shenandoah Valley Organic LLC received a $3.6 million grant through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP).
“Through investments like those I’m announcing today, USDA will continue to work tirelessly to give farmers and ranchers a fair chance to compete in the marketplace, which in turn helps lower food costs for the American people,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
How will the grant help increase production?
The funding will allow Shenandoah Valley Organic to double its processing capacity to 630,000 birds per week and create 300 jobs by:
- Purchasing new equipment,
- Installing new conveyor lines,
- Implementing site modifications
- And building a new wastewater treatment system.
The Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program
Through the Whitehouse’s Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, the Biden-Harris Administration invested $59 million into the USDA’s MPPEP to encourage competition and create jobs in rural areas.
“For too long, American farmers and ranchers have been asked to produce more to meet increasing demand across the country and around the world, while they and the rural communities they come from have struggled to see their fair share of the benefits,” Vilsack said.
“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are taking action to advance a sustainable vision of agriculture that prioritizes the needs of our resilient producers and small businesses, strengthens our food supply chain and brings value back to rural people and places.”
The $59 million will be granted to four other independent processors including Riverbend Meats LLC in Idaho and CNF Enterprises LLC in South Dakota.
More on Shenandoah Valley Organic
Shenandoah Valley Organic, now known as Farmer Focus, is an organic poultry brand with a mission to protect generational family farming.
