A northeast Iowa meat and poultry processor is getting over three-quarters of a million dollars to expand its operations.
USDA Rural Development State Director of Iowa, Theresa Greenfield, Thursday announced that Leonard’s Locker, in Frederika in rural Bremer County, will receive a $855,762 grant from the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). The USDA investment will allow Leonard’s to increase meat and poultry processing capacity, create more, new and better markets for producers, and lower food costs.
In a statement, Greenfield said, “The expansion of Leonard’s Locker will increase processing capacity for local producers, lower consumer costs for food and strengthen our local food supply chain.”
Leonard’s Locker processes beef and hogs for local ag producers as well as some wild game. This project funding will help purchase land and construct and equip a new state-of-the-art processing facility; expected to increase capacity by 50% and to develop new value-added products.
Once the project is completed, the locker anticipates serving an additional 60 producers and creating four new full-time jobs
