Ohio is handing out more money to help meat processors.

The state recently announced a dozen new recipients of the meat processing grant program who will share nearly $3 million.

In the greater Stark County area, Lazy L. Ranch Meats, which is based in New Franklin, got a $249,802 grant. Lazy L. Ranch Meats has a store at the Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market in Hartville.

More:Ohio meat and poultry processors get state grants to keep up with demand

Elsewhere in Northeast Ohio, Beaver Wholesale Meats in Smithville in Wayne County got a maximum $250,000 grant. Streb's Meats in Dalton in Wayne County got $226,656. Heffelfinger's Meats in Jeromesville in Ashland County got $226,873. Premium Meats in Warren in Trumbull County got $250,000.

Craig Streb, the owner of Streb's Meats, said the grant will allow his business with six employees to buy a new lifter, bacon slicer and meat grinder that are faster and more efficient than the current equipment he got more than a decade ago. With the new equipment, he will not have to hire any additional employees to expand how much meat his business can have available for sale.

“I can make more with less people," Streb said, adding that he didn't apply in two prior application rounds, but he changed his mind. The equipment is "better and it’s bigger. Bigger and faster. ... It’s a long-term investment and they came up with this grant program and I figure if they're willing to help us out, I’m going to see if I can qualify.”

Gov. Mike DeWine said in a prepared statement that he wanted to give every meat processor in the state an opportunity to benefit from the grant. So his administration sought an additional $18 million in funding, beyond the initial $10 million appropriated by the state legislature.

“These grants don’t just benefit the processors. They also benefit Ohio families who will find more meat products available to them at the store," the governor said.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted added in a statement: "These grants help food processors invest in new machinery and technology that can deliver more food, less expensively. ... This results in a new level of productivity that benefits the consumer with lower prices, business with more production, and the workforce with higher pay.”

Three rounds of meat processing grants

DeWine's announced an initial round of 41 grantees in February and a second round in June for 75 grantees.

In the second round, two Stark County businesses got grants Raiano Meats in Plain Township ($189,256) and Canal Fulton Specialty Meats in Canal Fulton ($250,000).

In the first round, the two Stark County businesses that got grants were Polen Meats in Canton Township ($230,174) and Kiko Meats in Paris Township ($248,392).

The Ohio Department of Development administers the grant program with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The Ohio General Assembly authorized the program in June 2021 when it approved the budget bill.

Department of Development spokesman Todd Walker said the Ohio Farm Bureau and Ohio Department of Agriculture sought the Ohio legislature's approval of the grant program to help livestock and poultry producers in the state to expand their capacity to address supply chain issues in providing enough meat to meet demand.

The legislature initially approved $10 million from the state's general revenue fund to pay for the grants, Walker said. The grants can cover the cost of new equipment, upgrading equipment, training employees, building or expanding processing plants, the costs of meeting food safety certification standards and allowing the business to join an interstate shipment co-operative. The grant amount is the documented costs of such improvements or $250,000, whichever is less.

Terms and conditions

The department issued a document listing the grant terms and conditions. Applications for the third round were due by June 21. And there's no funding approved as of yet for subsequent rounds of awards, said Walker. Grantees receive an initial payment equal to half the grant amount and receive the second half on providing documentation that money was spent on the eligible expenses listed in the grant application.

The state used a scoring system to decide which applicants got the initial funding. Applications that described projects to improve the efficiency in meat processing, expanding capacity for meat processing, helping the business meet food safety certification and covering the costs of helping the business join an interstate shipment co-operative got the maximum 50 points.

Walker said the Ohio Controlling Board allocated an additional $18 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding approved by Congress in March 2021 toward the program. That allowed grants to go to 75 businesses, among the initial applicants, that did not score as high as the first 41.

Then the administration accepted more applications in June for the remaining $3 million. Walker said he did not have a list of applicants not accepted for the June application round.

The other recent grant recipients were:

The Herman Falter Packing Co., Columbus, Franklin County, $244,556

Whitewater Processing, Harrison, Hamilton County, $250,000

KTF Protein Solutions, St. Mary's, Auglaize County, $250,000

B&H Butchery, Barnesville, Belmont County, $250,000

The Butcher Shoppe, Crown City, Gallia County, $250,000

Cooper Hatchery, Paulding, Paulding County, $250,000

Cooper Hatchery, Van Wert, Van Wert County, $250,000

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. Twitter: @rwangREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio announces 12 new recipients of state meat processing grants