Schenker family farms (SFF) raises beef, hogs, and chicken

Schenker Family Farms Incorporated (SFF) received a $194,970.69 Project Grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service under the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants – Supplemental Funding program (CFDA 10.180).

SFF operates a meat processing facility in McCune, Kansas where it produces ready-to-eat meals from beef, pork and poultry for direct consumer sales through online markets, farmers' markets and subscription delivery. The grant funds will allow SFF to improve food safety and expand distribution of its value-added meat products by obtaining USDA inspection approval for the facility. Funds will be used for HACCP planning, packaging and labeling equipment, and facility upgrades to cold storage and loading areas in compliance with inspection requirements. Securing USDA inspection will enable SFF to sell its specialty meat entrees through additional retail channels.

They sell the majority of their meat through consumer direct channels, including online markets, farmers' markets, and a subscription based delivery service. The company also sells a limited amount of food into retailers in the kansas city market and is an approved supplier to whole foods market and nature's pantry. SFF further processes meat into ready to heat/eat meals, including enchiladas, take and bake chicken pot pies, chili, and other regional favorites. By processing meat into entrees, the company can improve margins on relatively low value products. For example, pork shoulders can be processed into pork green chili stew, ground beef can be processed into beef enchiladas, etc. The company hopes to expand processing and distribution of these products. The mccune, kansas facility operates as a processing area, distribution staging area, and cold storage area for the company. SFF is seeking USDA inspection for the facility so that IT can expand the market for its specialty foods. Currently, the company only sells these products through consumer-direct channels. Having a USDA inspected product would allow the company to sell through additional distribution channels. Grant funds will be used to get the facility ready for inspection. Grant funds will be used to hire a haccp consultant to develop a comprehensive food safety plan for the facility; packaging and labeling equipment and supplies; and facility improvements to expand the staging, loading and cold storage areas to ensure correct segregation of fresh/refrigerated and frozen products.