November 21, 2023 - Dalton, Pennsylvania
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding toured MudPond Meats, a custom butcher in Dalton, to announce recipients of $676,140 in Very Small Meat and Poultry Processor Grants. The PA Farm Bill grants will help 12 small businesses in 11 counties by funding expansion, equipment purchases, food and worker safety improvements, and other measures to boost small businesses' capacity to meet demand for local meat and poultry."Consumers increasingly want to buy local to keep dollars in their own communities," said Redding. "These grants not only help small farm businesses like MudPond Meats serve their customers, they shorten the supply chain, lowering transportation costs and energy use, increasing profit here at home, and making the food supply more reliable even in the midst of national disruptions like we saw during the pandemic. The Shapiro Administration is committed to increasing opportunities for small businesses to succeed and their communities to thrive."MudPond Meats was awarded a $77,547 grant through the program in 2022-23 to purchase equipment through the program to help their custom butchering business expand.