Locally Raised, Locally Processed

Appalachian Producers Cooperative becomes a reality for Northeast Tennessee farmers

To say the Appalachian Producers Cooperative has been a longtime coming would be an understatement. I would say folks involved from the beginning would also agree it's taken a full team effort to get this idea across the finish line.

"About nine years ago, our current mayor in Washington County wanted to see if it was feasible to provide wholesale, retail meat processing in this area," said Anthony Shelton, University of Tennessee Extension livestock marketing area specialist for northeast Tennessee. "As county Extension agent at the time, he reached out to me, and we got some folks together to see if we could make a feasibility study happen."

That feasibility study did in fact happen and it came back with confirmation that some sort of processing facility for northeast Tennessee, particularly Washington County, would work. However, not much happened after that. That was until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we all know what happened then - processing facilities were slammed, store shelves were empty and suddenly, the conversation about creating a regional processing facility resurfaced.

"When COVID hit, we saw a lot of grants start coming out and that's when the county mayor reached back out to me about the feasibility study. We got producers in a room, some folks to do grant writing and started having conversations with some key elected officials," said Shelton. "Washington County decided to give $2 million to this facility because they believed in the thought process of the cooperative."

That was about four years ago. And while a lot of folks wished it might have happened sooner, Shelton believes, "While it's taken a little longer, obtaining all the grants they have has been incredibly valuable."

Board member and Washington County farmer Joseph Redman also adds, "Rome wasn't built in a day and the good Lord has taken care of us and put the right people in place. We've got a great staff, a great board and great elected officials supporting us."

Now that we know the backstory, what is the Appalachian Producers Cooperative?

Mark Zinnanti, general manager, says, "We are a full-service harvest facility. We do everything from the time the animal walks in - harvest, process, package, box and ship. We do custom work, and we are also USDA inspected so we can sale to the wholesale market."

With a capacity of 125-head per week, as of July 19, the processing facility is officially open for business. Like Mark said, it is a full-service harvest facility, but what's a little different with this facility is the structure. Hence the word "cooperative" in the title.

"We are a farmer-owned cooperative, and we're the first cooperative that's been established in Tennessee in over 50 years," said Mike Southerland, Appalachian Producers Cooperative president. "To become a member, you must use the facility and there is a $50 yearly membership fee. You also must have at least 15 acres and farm. Once we get to where we can, we'll have profit sharing where we give a patronage back to our membership."

Located in Telford off Highway 11E, the facility is convenient, impressive and opens the door for a lot of opportunity.

"You hear this is the next big thing since the tobacco buyout," said Redman. "This is what farmers need. Yes, cattle prices are high, but people can get their brand out there in the community by utilizing this facility."

Shelton adds, "I think a lot of local restaurants are interested in local beef, but they haven't had a resource that has been able to provide a steady supply, and this will provide a steady, sound supply for consumer confidence."

As a farmer who sells his beef to consumers directly, Southerland says, "I've been killing cattle and raising freezer beef for about 25 years. I've been going 100 miles to get mine processed, so to be able to come 5 miles is great."

You know what else is great? How much the people involved genuinely enjoy working there and are passionate about the vision of this cooperative.

As general manager, Zinnanti says, "I am 100% excited about this facility. All of us involved have a passion for this facility to do well and help the community."

Providing for the community has been the purpose from the beginning. Before this processing facility, more than 44,000 cattle were raised in Washington County annually and 0% of those cattle were processed anywhere close by. So, while this cooperative does provide a local avenue for farmers to have their meat processed, instead of traveling out of county or even out of state, it also provides the community with more locally raised products - a demand that only continues to rise.

"At the end of the day, we're all consumers. As farmers, we enjoy what we produce, but how do we gain that same satisfaction with someone who is so disconnected from the farming environment," said Shelton. "As more folks move to this area, we need to make sure we can provide them a local product."

As a cattle producer but also involved in his family's restaurant, The Kitchen at Grace Meadows, Redman understands this local demand because he sees it first-hand.

"We see people go in and out of the restaurant and they want to know what they are eating and where it comes from," said Redman. "This facility ensures they know the product is grown in this area and now it's finished and processed in this area too."

Obviously awarding the cooperative $2 million shows quite a lot of support from the county, but Redman notes there was opposition at first from the community. Thankfully, folks seem to be behind the vision now.

"We did get a lot of opposition at first, but I think now that folks have seen the facility, they've seen the location, that there's no smell, there's no noise, they are very much so now supporting us, and I believe this is going to be huge for our community," said Redman

As someone who heard about this concept several years ago at a policy development meeting, I have to say - the finished product is quite the sight. And you can tell, like most things in this industry, it's taken a team of dedicated and committed individuals not giving up when things got tough.

"It's pretty amazing a group of 11 farmers pulled this thing off," said Southerland. "But we've had so much help. A lot of guidance and advice, it's been a huge operation, but we're very proud of it."

And proud of it they should be. Because at the end of the day, the greater purpose behind this facility is to ensure farmers can continue to farm - something we can all get behind.

"The model for this cooperative was, 'how do we keep our farmers sustainable and keep them in operation?" said Shelton. "That was the main goal - provide farmers a way to be successful."