Expand ability to sell our products across state lines with USDA inspection; slaughter & cut poultry & cut only pork & beef (slaughtered at another USDA plant); increase products offered by our plant;…

Pats Pastured in East Greenwich, Rhode Island received a $200,000 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). The funding will support Pats Pastured's efforts to expand its poultry and pork/beef cutting operations to obtain a USDA Grant of Inspection and sell products across state lines. Specifically, the award will help finance improvements to increase production capacity, storage, and processing efficiency. It will also upgrade equipment for poultry slaughtering/cutting and pork/beef cutting. The funding is intended to increase food safety, product offerings, and profitability at the facility over the three-year period from September 2021 through September 2024.

Expand ability to sell our products across state lines with USDA inspection; slaughter & cut poultry & cut only pork & beef (slaughtered at another USDA plant); increase products offered by our plant; improve operational efficiency by improving equipment, plant processing flow & storage; constantly improve food safety through strong haccp plans, ssop & plant training; decrease cost of production thus increasing the gross margin of meat & poultry products; protect economic viability due to closures of regional USDA meat processing plants facility needs; increase capacity to value-add products by purchasing a grinder, sausage stuffer/linker & band saw; increase storage capacity for refrigerated/frozen customer ready products; increase storage capacity for whole animal & primal carcasses; separate room for cutting, grinding & packaging/labeling; expand haccp plans & ssops to meet requirement for grant of inspection; upgrade electricity to serve the increased equipment & 3 phase power required; upgrade water heating capacity for poultry processing & sanitation practices; improved processing equipment for more efficient poultry slaughtering/cutting & pork/beef cutting; increase wastewater storage through installation of an additional larger tank expected outcomes; achieve USDA grant of inspection; continue to provide high levels of food safety; increase products offered to customers; increase wholesale accounts currently limited by selling retail exempt; expand poultry production beyond 20,000 bird & sell across state lines; improve efficiency of processing therefore increasing the profitability of processing operation; provide year round work opportunities for staff; increase local food production/processing sources thus strengthening food security; and financially support local farmers by purchasing animals for processing & distribution