Thirteen businesses will get state money this year from a fund designed to help small-scale meat processors.
Iowa Economic Development Authority spokesperson Kanan Kappleman says the grants total more than $970,000. “Eligible projects under the Butchery and Revitalization Fund would include expanding or refurbishing an existing facility or establishing a new business,” she says. Kappleman says the money is often used for buying equipment.
“Refrigeration facilities, freezer facilities, or equipment that is necessary to expand the processing capacity of a facility,” Kappelman says.
Kappelman says the fund was created after the need was revealed for these type of processors when the large-scale meat processors were shut down during the pandemic. She says there are just a few requirements to get the grants. “Number one they would be authorized to do business in Iowa. The second is that they employ less than 75 individuals,” she says. There also some limits on the amount of the grants. “The maximum award amount for any one company was $100,000 no more than 50 percent of the eligible project expenses can be made with these grant funds,” Kappelman says.
There were five projects that requested grants that didn’t win awards this year.
Here is a list of the grant recipients with the amount of the project and amount of the grant awarded:
Amana Farms Beef Homestead project cost $16,640; grant awarded: $8,320
Bailey Beef Processing Anita project cost $83,000; grant awarded:$41,500
Cooks Meat Locker LLC Parnell project cost $200,000; grant awarded: $100,000
Double Dutch Meat Processing, Inc. Pella project cost $200,000; grant awarded: $100,000
Edgewood Locker INC project cost $200,000; grant awarded: $100,000
Friedrichsen Meat Company LLC Sutherland project cost $200,000; grant awarded: $100,000
Grimm Family Farm LLC Williamsburg project cost $176,503; grant awarded: $88,251
Jakes Meat Market Sibley project cost $60,418; grant awarded: $30,209
LDL Investsments Brighton project cost $99,210; grant awarded: $49,605
Northcote Meats Inc. Melcher project cost $200,000, grant awarded: $100,000
Regenerative Food Processing Stacyville project cost $105,350; grant awarded: $52,675
Skoglund Meats & Locker Inc West Bend project cost $200,000; grant awarded: $100,000
The Good Butcher LLC Des Moines project cost $200,000; grant awarded: $100,000