A new value-added cooperative meat processing facility plans to open its doors this fall in Havre, MT.
The Montana Premium Processing Cooperative was created out of the Montana Farmers Union’s work to create a service-style processing plant, according to the company’s website.
The facility will provide USDA-inspected processing for cattle, hogs, sheep and bison. The plant will have the capability to process 3,000-3,500 head annually, according to a report by local news outlet Prairie Star.
“In Montana right now, in order to get into a processing facility, where it is a USDA federally-inspected or state-inspected facility, it is a one to two year wait,” Matt Rains, chief of staff for Montana Farmers Union, told the Prairie Star.
“That is why we have been trapped and have to sell to large packing plants.”
In September 2021, the Montana Farmers Union and Farmers Union Enterprises purchased a former Schwan’s facility in Havre.
The location was chosen so the co-op can work with Montana State University-Northern to train students in meat processing.
Co-op board of directors members include Paul Neubauer, Brett DeBruycker, Ben Peterson, Jess Alger, Eric Bergman, Jenny Kahrl and Walter Schweitzer. To become a member of the co-op, individuals must prove they are a producer.
For more information, visitwww.mtpremiumprocessing.com.
