USDA MPPTA Client Stories

Small Grants Seed Big Changes for Local Meat Processors

As the pandemic impacts rippled throughout the food system in 2021, the incoming Biden administration launched the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG), offering smaller processing businesses up to $200,000 to become USDA-inspected to equip them to develop and market products in retail stores and restaurants.

The first round of MPIRG grants awarded in 2021 is scheduled to be wrapped up this September, so my fellow Regional Director, Chris Roper, and I have been stopping by grant recipients during our travels to see if our network can provide technical assistance to help them cross the finish line.

Sustaining Indigenous Fisheries: The Dynamic Partnership of MPPTA’s Chris Roper and Tribal FishCo

Buck Jones, a member of the Cayuse Tribe, one of the three tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is making waves in the world of fisheries with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC). With a history spanning 19 years, Jones, CRITFC’s Salmon Marketing Specialist, has been at the forefront of ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of Tribal commercial fishers and fishing communities.