Jefferson County looks at getting meat processing plants USDA-certified - WWNY

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WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - When you buy your meat, do you know where it comes from? Jefferson County officials want to use American Rescue Act funds to make sure you do.

“I, myself, am a farmer. If you want an animal processed to sell anywhere, I have to book as much as 18 months in advance to get that animal into a slaughter facility locally,” said Mike Nuckols, an agriculture team leader at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.

Nuckols sees area farmers struggling to get meat processed for sale.

“We have producers that are shipping goats and sheep to Pennsylvania. For beef farmers, we have people shipping as far as Colorado,” he said.

It’s because there are only two USDA-certified meat processing plants in the north country and they can only take in so many animals.

It’s argued that more slaughterhouses are needed, but getting plants USDA-certified is expensive.

“It’s a difficult path to get into it and they need the funding in many cases,” said Nuckols.

That’s where Jefferson County officials want to step in. The county has $10 million in American Rescue Act funds to distribute.

At a finance committee meeting Tuesday, officials proposed a program to help processors with USDA certification costs.

“What this grant program would do is assist our local meat processors that are trying to grow their operation by getting equipment or facilities that they need in order to grow,” said Jefferson County Agricultural Coordinator Jay Matteson.

That would allow more farmers to butcher and sell their meat by the pound and to local businesses.

“Anyone opening that plant will do very well. It’s just getting their foot into it and getting started that’s the problem,” said Nuckols.

A problem county officials hope to help. The committee is going to consider the project proposal for a month, then make some decisions.

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