Heart of Dakota Packing receives grant award notice
By ALLAN TINKER
Derek Ebach, Heart of Dakota Packing owner and manager, received notice of that the entity was a recipient of the North Dakota Meat Processing Cost Share Program award by the ND Department of Agriculture as of June 22. The grant project period is from March 1 of 2020 through November 30, 2020. The total project cost is $68,869 with a sub-grantee grant amount of $51,645. Ebach must fund $17,215 as the share required to secure the grant. Ebach presented a request for that amount to McClusky Job Development Authority members at their July meeting, leaving a copy of the contract and notice for their review. The committee agreed to review his request. He plans to double the operating capacity of the packing plant with an upgrade on facilities, including expanded indoor and new outdoor cooler, band saw, sausage stuffer, vacuum sealer and meat grinder, among other items. The need is funded to prepare the state for meat supplies availability throughout the state in the event of other large packing plants shutdown from a national emergency.
