USDA Invests Over $500,000 to Expand North Dakota Meat Processing Capacity, Strengthen Competition and Support Ranchers

(Bismarck, N.D., November 2, 2026) - U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Tom Campbell today announced that USDA is moving forward with over $500 thousand in investments through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program to help three meat processors in North Dakota expand capacity, strengthen competition, and create new market opportunities for ranchers.

"Agriculture remains the backbone of North Dakota's economy, and our local meat processors play a critical role in supporting ranchers and feeding communities across the region," said Campbell. "These investments will help processors increase capacity, improve operations, and create new market opportunities. USDA is proud to partner with businesses that are strengthening rural economies and ensuring North Dakota producers have more options close to home."

The following North Dakota processors have received MPPEP grants:

• Butcher's Edge in Edgeley will receive a $169,087 grant to increase processing capacity, improve efficiency, and expand value-added meat production through the purchase of a Variovac rollstock packaging machine and a Vemag vacuum stuffer. The project will modernize packaging and product portioning operations, allowing the facility to produce more fully cooked and resale-ready products, improve packaging quality and shelf life, and increase productivity without adding staff. These equipment upgrades will help Butcher's Edge increase annual processing volumes, support local livestock producers, improve product marketability, and expand access to additional retail markets.
  
• Spruce Hill Meats LLC in Bowman will receive a $156,587 grant to modernize and expand processing capacity at its USDA-inspected meat processing facility by replacing outdated, unreliable, labor-intensive, and unsafe equipment. Grant funds will be used to purchase a meat grinder, patty former, skinning cradle, humane livestock knock box and sweep system, vacuum tumbler, meat saw, portioning and linking system, hydraulic sausage stuffer, meat mixer, strip slicer, and tenderizer. These upgrades will improve humane slaughter, sanitation, employee safety, product consistency, and operational efficiency while increasing throughput and expanding processing services and value-added meat production for regional livestock producers and customers.
  
• Maple Valley Locker Inc. in Enderlin will receive a $184,238 grant to modernize its meat processing operations by purchasing a Scandivac roll stock packaging machine, a Tipper Tie stapler, a Jeros utensil washer with water softener, and CMS Custom Meat Solutions software and hardware. These investments will increase processing throughput, automate packaging and business operations, and improve product tracking and customer communication.

MPPEP is managed by USDA Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative Services and provides grants to help eligible independent processors expand their capacity. USDA Rural Development designed the program to encourage competition and sustainable growth in the United States meat processing sector and improve supply chain resiliency.

USDA has awarded more than $200 million to independent businesses under the MPPEP program. These projects have created thousands of jobs across the country. Learn more about USDA's investments to strengthen the meat and poultry supply chain at usda.gov/meat .

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 http://www.rd.usda.gov .

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