Meat and poultry intermediary relending grant

The Farmers Union Foundation received a $834,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service's Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (CFDA 10.382) in May 2023. Through this two-year grant, the Foundation will provide financing and equipment to support workforce development and capacity building for small meat and poultry processors in Minnesota. As an intermediary lender, the Foundation will facilitate loans to qualified processors to increase their processing capacity and access new markets. Additionally, the Foundation was awarded a $3.7 million Economic Adjustment Assistance Project Grant from the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration in 2022, which enabled the purchase of mobile meat processing equipment for workforce training programs at two Minnesota colleges. These programs aim to address pandemic-related impacts to the regional workforce through hands-on instruction in meat processing certificate programs, apprenticeships, and peer education.