The owners of nine small-scale meat processing shops in Iowa are splitting $355,000 in state grant money to expand their businesses. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says the “Choose Iowa Butchery Innovation Grants” must be matched by the business, and these grants are leveraging nearly $2 Million worth of investments.
One of the grant recipients is Skoglund Meats in West Bend. Naig says meat lockers faced challenging times, but the pandemic was a turning point.
Lawmakers created the state grant program for butcher shops in 2021, and the first round of grants were awarded in early 2022. Skoglund Meats is receiving a $25,000 grant to assist with the addition of a smokehouse at their facility, as the grant will cover nearly 10% of the total project costs.
