Three North Dakota beef processors will receive grants from USDA’s Meat and Poultry Expansion program.
They are Butcher’s Edge in Edgeley, which will receive a $169 thousand grant; Spruce Hill Meats LLC in Bowman, which will receive a $157 thousand grant; and Maple Valley Locker in Enderlin, which will be receiving a $184 thousand grant.
"It's unfortunate, but the meatpacking industry is dominated by three large companies," said USDA North Dakota Rural Development Director Tom Campbell. "This gives the small guy an opportunity to compete."
Campbell said it's hard for any small guy in any industry to compete with the big boys in this day and age.
"You almost need help like this," Campbell said. "It's a good program, and I like it."
Campbell said he’s working on some other potential grants for meat packing.
"I'm working on another fellow, a big retailer that has a small cattle farm," Campbell said. "The retailer doesn't use the meat. But I'm after him — I said 'you have everything — a great retail market, you have a cattle farm — let's just take it to the next step, and start your own processing plant."
Campbell said he's interested. But he said it's a big step.
