USDA Tennessee Rural Development Announces Grant to McBride Meats Company in Tennessee

(Nashville, Tenn., November 12, 2026) - U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Tennessee State Director Patrick Jaynes today announced a $249,957 investment in McBride Meats Company of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program. The project is expected to create 13 new jobs, increase livestock purchases across the region, and strengthen competition and resilience within the region's meat processing supply chain.

"Tennessee's livestock producers are essential to our nation's food supply and to the economic strength of rural communities," said Jaynes. "USDA Rural Development is proud to support investments that expand processing capacity, create new opportunities for producers, and generate lasting economic benefits. Projects like this help ensure more of the value created by agriculture stays here in rural Tennessee."

The funding for McBride Meats Company will help purchase and install advanced processing, packaging, mixing, grinding, and animal-handling equipment. These upgrades will modernize facility operations, improve worker safety, enhance product quality, and significantly increase processing capacity. The expanded capacity will provide Tennessee livestock producers with greater access to processing services and new market opportunities through professionally packaged, retail-ready products that meet the standards of grocery stores, wholesalers, food service providers, and institutional buyers.

The Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program is administered by USDA Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative Service and provides grants to eligible independent meat and poultry processors to expand capacity, promote competition, support sustainable growth, and strengthen the resilience of the nation's food supply chain.

Nationwide, the Trump Administration and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have invested more than $200 million through the program to support independent meat and poultry processing businesses. These investments have helped create jobs, expand processing opportunities, and strengthen regional agricultural economies.

Through continued investments in rural businesses and agricultural infrastructure, USDA Rural Development remains committed to expanding economic opportunity, supporting American producers, and strengthening the rural communities that help feed the nation.

For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway. The Rural Data Gateway is an online tool that strengthens USDA Rural Development partnerships with rural people, entrepreneurs, government officials and Congress by making Rural Development's investment data accessible to the public. For more information about USDA Rural Development programs, visit www.rd.usda.gov/tn .

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