Following a prayer and speech, a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear opened the new 19,000-square-foot facility in Hominy, OK, processing locally raised beef, bison, and pork for tribal members.
The meat plant will process beef and bison from the nation’s 43,000-acre ranch west of Pawhuska and provide the capacity for tribal ranchers to process their livestock and wild game.
The plant was built with funds from the Coronavirus Assistance, Relief, and Economic Security Act and will address food security for the nation.
“Food security, which has long been a critical issue within our nation, came under increased pressure when COVID-19 hit,” said Jann Hayman, director of the Osage Department of Natural Resources, which is overseeing the project. “Our new meat processing plant gives us a vital new asset in overcoming the immediate disruption and in addressing our long-term needs.”
