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A new Willmar meat processing plant for goats and lamb will break ground in September thanks to a federal grant. 

Clean Chickens and Co. LLC, based in Elk River received a $1,026,730 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program to help build a new meat processing plant and assist local farmers in accessing new markets. 

Chief operating officer Greg Wierschke said the hope is to break ground on the 5,000 square-foot facility by September and be operational by March 2025. 

Local demand for lamb and goat meat is growing due to changing demographics in the Willmar-area and in the Twin Cities, and there’s more opportunities to widen the profit margin if it expanded to include goat and lamb processing, Wierschke said. 

“When you’re driving down the road, you see cattle, but there’s so much more diversification in Minnesota agriculture,” Wierschke said. “And this gives farmers another opportunity to get into a different species and get out of that big four supply chain … it’s gonna be a growth industry for Minnesota agriculture.”

Wierschke said he was excited to help address a hole in the market for Minnesotans looking for quality goat and lamb meat to use in various ethnic cuisines and celebrations.

“Minnesota has a rich history of immigrants and it’s not going to stop anytime soon,” he said. “And goat meat just happens not to be number one in America, but immigrants are asking for this meat, and we as a company, feel that we need to provide that service. 

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced the two Minnesota-based agricultural projects that received the grant funding on Tuesday, including Willmar’s new meat processing plant. 

“Minnesota’s meat and poultry products help feed the nation and the world,” Klobuchar said. “This new funding will make it easier for our processors to bolster their capacity and get their high-quality meats to new markets.”

Smith said she was proud to advocate for agricultural projects in the state that’ll expand production and processing capabilities and that Minnesota has “long been a linchpin in America’s agricultural market.”

“Through these innovative projects, this funding will create more jobs in our agricultural workforce and support Minnesota producers breaking into new markets,” she added. 

The funding is also part of a $110 million package from the USDA to expand independent meat process capacity, increase competition in the agricultural market and lower food costs in the country. The Biden administration invested more than $700 million in 48 states through the American Rescue Plan. 

USDA’s Rural Development provided more than $291.4 million in grants through the expansion program to boost processing capacity and strengthen the food supply chain in the U.S.

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Greg Wierschke said he was excited to help address a hole in the market for Minnesotans looking for quality goat and lamb meat to use in various ethnic cuisines and celebrations.

Anticipated Willmar meat processing plant project for goats, lamb awarded federal grant

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