Bill offering assistance to small meat processors could fix a weak link in food chain

Small and medium size meat processors are struggling to keep up with demand.

A report from the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture states: “There is a distinct bottleneck in the Minnesota small meat processing industry, exacerbated by COVID-19 and the lack of a skilled workforce.”

Lowering the hurdles often faced by processors aiming to start or expand their businesses, is behind two bills sponsored by Rep. Nathan Nelson (R-Hinckley).

As amended, HF1302 would appropriate $75,000 annually for a meat processing liaison within the Department of Agriculture, and HF1303 would appropriate $100,000 in fiscal year 2024 for technical assistance grants for small processors with 50 or fewer employees. Both bills were laid over Thursday by the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee for possible omnibus bill inclusion.

Starting or expanding a meat processing business is a daunting task, Nelson said. Making sure proper permits and inspections are in place is crucial because one misstep might mean starting over from the beginning. As subject matter experts, the Department of Agriculture is well-equipped to answer inspection questions.

A goal of the department is to lower any language barriers.

The proposed technical assistance grants would help processing businesses and livestock producers, said Greg Wierschke, owner of Clean Chickens and Co. He is currently working on building a lamb and goat processing center, which would be the only halal-certified plant between here and Chicago.

There are 100,000 citizens here that can’t access the food they want, Wierschke said. To meet the need, processors need food safety, formulation and business plans.

“And to get there we need technical assistance,” he said. 

The bills have widespread support, including from livestock producers and economic development organizations.

“This is a need we really see in our communities,” said Rep. Kristi Pursell (DFL-Northfield). “It impacts people who have a small number of animals.”