STAPLES, Minn. – Farmers Union Processing + Meats opens for business June 2.

The more than 10,000-square-foot meat processing facility slaughters cattle and hogs. The facility is available for custom-exempt processing and is working toward gaining USDA certification in July.

“We are proud to be part of the Staples community and look forward to working with farmers to process their livestock locally and provide them with a high-quality product they can take home and enjoy,” said Robb Kasal, plant manager.

The plant grew from a need identified by livestock producers in the five-county region of Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd and Wadena counties. The region lacks USDA-inspected meat processing capacity and custom-exempt processors, causing bottlenecks for producers to harvest their livestock and limiting their marketing opportunities. The plant took several years to come to fruition and brought together several partners, including:

• Minnesota State Agricultural Centers of Excellence
• Region 5 Development Commission.
• United States Economic Development Administration
• United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service
• Agricultural Utilization Research Institute
• Happy Dancing Turtle
• Minnesota Department of Agriculture
• Central Telephone Company
• The Small Business Development Center

Ground was broken for the facility in June 2025. Hy-Tec Construction of Brainerd was the lead contractor on the $8 million project and Widseth was the project architect.

“This project started when members in several counties identified a lack of meat processing capacity,” said Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) President Gary Wertish. “A meat processing facility is a critical asset for farmers who want to add value to their farm by adding livestock. The opening of Farmers Union Processing + Meats is a celebration of persistence and working together to create a more resilient local food system.”

To learn more about Farmers Union Processing + Meats or to book your slaughter dates, call 218-895-MEAT (6328).

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About Farmers Union Processing + Meats

Farmers Union Processing + Meats is a meat processing facility located at 901 Prairie Ave. N.W., in Staples, Minn. The more than 10,000-square-foot facility processes hogs and cattle.