Meat processors get ODA grants
By Terry Murry on Thursday, May 23rd, 2024 in Columbia Basin News Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
SALEM – The Oregon Department of Agriculture is awarding grants to 14 meat processing businesses from funds allocated by the Oregon Legislature to significantly enhance the meat processing capacity across the state, with particular focus on benefiting Oregon-raised livestock.
Included in those 14 companies are Buermann’s Ranch Meats of Burns, Follet’s Meat of Hermiston, and Russell’s Custom Meats & Deli of Canyon City. Each of those three received grants of $697,500.
ODA said the 14 firms went through a rigorous selection process.
“This is the second major investment the state is making in meat processing in Oregon,” ODA Director Lisa Charpilloz Hanson said. “Our beef industry is (a) significant contributor to the national livestock supply chain, but much of the economic opportunity is lost because the processing is out of the state.”
Those selected will handle a variety of livestock species. ODA projects that the collective enhancements in meat processing will lead to an additional 3.5 million pounds of locally-sourced meat available throughout the state annually.
