The Oregon Department of Agriculture on May 22 announced $8.6 million in grants to expand meat processing in Oregon.

The funding, allocated by the Oregon Legislature, went to 14 businesses that will either fall under federal inspection or the new state inspection program.

Lake County Meat Processors near Lakeview, Ore., received $697,500 and will become a state inspected facility, able to sell meat to the public.

“This is a really big deal for our business. This will also help my community,” said Molly Johnson, owner and operator.

Her property is surrounded by ranches and hay fields, but cattle often are taken to large slaughterhouses far away.

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The grant will fund upgrades and purchase new equipment to increase capacity and allow local food to stay in the community.

“The more production we can do, the more jobs we can have as well,” Johnson said.

Big Horn Meat/H&K Meats of Jefferson, Ore., also received $697,500.

Owner Brian Dolby said the business will upgrade facilities and bring on more help to come under state inspection.

“This is going to allow local farmers to have local processors,” he said.

He said about 10 nearby ranchers are hauling livestock 250 to 500 miles away to be processed, and many of those are fully scheduled a year out.

Retaining value

The grant program aims to enhance meat processing capacity, retain value, create jobs and improve the availability of services for ranchers and local communities, said Lisa Charpilloz Hanson, ODA director.

“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,” she said in a news release.

ODA received 43 grant applications requesting $27 million from the Oregon Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Building Grant.

Awardees will handle a variety of livestock species, and ODA projects that it will lead to an additional 3.5 million pounds of locally sourced meat being accessible to communities throughout Oregon annually.

Grant list

Other grant recipients include:

• Buermann’s Ranch Meats of Burns, $697,500.

• Central Oregon Custom Meats of Redmond, $619,522.

• Century Oak Packing of Mt. Angel, $439,131.

• Deck Family Farm of Junction City, $69,500.

• Diamond S Meat of Klamath Falls, $638,148.

• Follett’s Meat of Hermiston, $697,500.

• Hines Meat of La Grande, $697,500.

• McClendon’s Old Fashioned Meats of Roseburg, $692,474.

• Meating Place of Hillsboro, $697,500.

• Montgomery Meats of Central Point, $538,955.

• Revel Meat Co. of Canby, $695,907.

• Russell’s Custom Meats & Deli of Canyon City, $697,500.

The Meating Place also received a $250,000 USDA grant to purchase new equipment and boost volume. That award was announced in March.

In 2020, the Oregon Legislature appropriated $926,000 and approved three full-time employees to start the Oregon State Meat Inspection Program.

In 2021, the Oregon Legislature allocated $2 million in grants to improve the infrastructure and operating capacity of state meat processors. Six businesses were awarded grants.