Makoce'smobile poultry processing unit (MPPU) makes IT possible formakoceto involve the community by providing home use opportunities and a market source

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service awarded Makoce Agriculture Development, Inc. a $200,000 Project Grant under the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants – Supplemental Funding program (CFDA 10.180). The grant will support Makoce in further developing its 54-foot Mobile Poultry Processing Unit to meet USDA food safety certification requirements. Funding will be used for infrastructure investments to permanently station the unit at Makoce's new 14-acre farm site in Porcupine, South Dakota. This includes installing water, power, and sewer access as well as a concrete foundation. The grant aims to prepare Makoce's MPPU to pass federal inspection and obtain regional selling ability by September 2023. It will also support hiring a full-time employee to oversee daily operations and engage the local community in the project.

The MPPU increases access for community members to be involved in the use of a processor so that they can create an added value product from the poultry they have raised.makocewould like to expand access to the 54-foot value added MPPU. For sustainable economic growth on pine ridge reservation, we need to invest in infrastructure needed to ensure thatmakoce'smppu meets not only pine ridge environmental and health requirements but also USDA food safety guidelines. We will need funding to further develop the MPPU to meet USDA certification requirements so that we can obtain regional selling ability. We are working to have an MPPU which meets federal guidelines and standards for food safety management production and processing.makocerecently received a 14-acre land lease where our permanent farm spacewill be developed. We need to invest into the infrastructure to permanently set up the MPPU on this new and long-term site from its current temporary location. This includes water, power, and sewer access as well as a concrete foundation. At the end of this grant period, we will be fully prepared for our MPPU to pass federal inspection. We will have hired a full-time employee to oversee day-to-day operations and have engaged the community throughout the process.