Unity, Maine – USDA MPPTA Client Story
Maine’s 17,000 who observe the dietary practices in the Quran primarily rely on imported halal-certified beef, lamb, and goat meat because the closest USDA-certified slaughter and processing facility is four states away.
Katheryn Piper and her husband, Hussam AlRawi, want to change that. In 2017, they organized Five Pillars Butchery LLC and converted their barn in Unity, ME to produce halal proteins for direct local consumption under Maine certification.
The Complexities of Developing an Halal Meat Processing Facility
Kathryn and Hussam are now developing the region’s first USDA-certified halal processing facility for beef, sheep, goats, and poultry and working with northern New England Muslim farmers on a regional producer cooperative. Developing a meat processing facility is challenging under any circumstances. Adding halal certification adds additional complexity.
Kathryn and Hussam are not easily intimidated but realize that they cannot do it alone. They turned to the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI), which agreed to fund a feasibility study. CDI also connected Five Pillars with Flower Hill Institute, which had just formalized a cooperative agreement with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to coordinate its Meat and Poultry Processing Technical Assistance Program.
Flower Hill connected via Zoom with Five Pillars to discuss issues involved in sourcing animals, marketing the meat, and establishing a cooperative. That groundwork helped equip Five Pillars to develop a strong proposal in November for the second round of Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program grants offered by USDA Rural Development. FHI regional director Dave Carter worked closely with Kathryn and Five Pillars’ grant writer to advise in developing their grant application. FHI also connected Five Pillars with Tuskegee University, one of the MPPTA organizations with experience in halal processing.
MPPTA Assisted Financing Connections
Because the MPPEP grant requires a 70% cost share from applicants, Carter helped link Five Pillars with Coastal Enterprises, Inc., a Maine-based Community Development Financing Institution administering loan funds under USDA’s Meat and Poultry Intermediary Loan Program.
As the clock ticked down to the grant deadline, FHI consultant Colleen Whitehead helped Five Pillars navigate last-minute challenges in getting their application submitted through grants.gov.
The Support From Flower Hill and MPPTA was Immensely Helpful
Kathryn notes, “As a participant in the USDA MPPEP, I found the support from Flower Hill Institute to be immensely helpful. They were knowledgeable on the rules and allowances of the grant, provided helpful national data on the meat processing industry, and guided me through the instructions of federal forms. Their support is greatly appreciated and I look forward to working with them in the future.”
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Please note: The Meat and Poultry Processing Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. The MPPTA Project Coordinators do not offer or provide direct contractor services or financial capital, grant writing, or project management services, nor does the voluntary use of MPPTA guarantee the success of a grant application or the grant-funded project