CARES funding helps meat processors upgrade facilities

<p>REJUVENATING THE BUSINESS: Munsee Meats is a familiar name in the Delaware County, Ind., area. Its new owners, some with farm ties, used the ISDA grant program to help upgrade equipment.</p>

<p>PAST TO PRESENT: Jonathan Lamb (right), one of the new owners of Munsee Meats, explains improvements being made to the facilities since the ownership change in 2020. Bruce Kettler (left), ISDA director, listens in.</p>

<p>NEW EQUIPMENT: Steve Green, butcher for Munsee Meats, prepares to demonstrate how the new vacuum-sealing machine obtained using grant money makes their operation faster and more efficient.</p>

<p>MEAT IN MOTION: Green demonstrates the packaging machine for visitors who came to see what type of equipment was purchased using ISDA grant money.</p>

<p>VARIETY OF MEATS: Green packaged these different cuts of meats in one run of the packaging machine. He notes that some consumer education is required because ground beef tends to turn brown once it is vacuum-sealed. People have been conditioned to believe brown, off-color ground beef is not fresh. Vacuum-sealed meat actually lasts longer, Green says.</p>

<p>INNOVATIVE IDEAS: Jason Mauck, a farmer and entrepreneur, Delaware County, Ind., developed the idea of a stand-alone, self-contained, automatic sales machine for meats.</p>

<p>SELF-SERVE MEATS: Pull up and get meat from a locker, stocked just for you. The temperature inside each individual locker can be controlled from negative 10 to 100 degrees F, so you can buy frozen or refrigerated products. Initial cost of this unit before installation was just over $40,000.</p>

<p>POPULAR DESTINATION: Traffic picked up dramatically at Knightstown Meats and Catering after the pandemic struck. Increased demand for products was one reason this company was eager to participate in ISDA’s matching grant program to upgrade equipment.</p>

<p>KEY ROLE: Darla Dewig, executive director of the Indiana Meat Packers and Processors Association, played a key role in helping put the ISDA grant program in motion. Her family operates Dewig Meats near Haubstadt, Ind.</p>

<p>HUGE TIME-SAVER: Walker Titus (right) shows Bruce Kettler one of the items purchased with the help of the ISDA CARES funds. This vacuum cooker allows Knightstown Meats and Catering to process hams, loins and much more at higher capacities and much faster. Capable of holding 770 pounds per batch, it replaced a machine that held 350 pounds, and cooks the meat in 4.5 hours vs. 12 hours.</p>

<p>POPULAR PRODUCTS: These smoked hams and loins are already inspected and ready to move. They’re a popular product at Knightstown Meats and Catering.</p>

<p>HOW IT WORKS: Walker Titus (right) prepares to demonstrate how this machine automatically lifts carts of meat cuts (foreground) up and into the grinding hopper. In the past, meat was dumped in from the top by hand, which required more but smaller batches. This machine was also purchased through the grant program. Travis Titus (left) watches the demonstration.</p>

<p>UP AND IN: Various cuts of meat are dumped into the machine automatically for grinding into ground beef. The cart of meat was lifted from ground level to the top and tipped by the machine.</p>

<p>QUALITY BEEF FAST: Just moments ago, this ground beef was still just various cuts of meat dumped into the machine. The machine processes a cart load of meat in a matter of minutes.</p>

<p>FULL LOAD: Here is the load of ground beef after processing. Physical labor is far reduced compared to when an older grinding machine was used. Dan Titus estimates about 35% of their facility is now automated.</p>

<p>PRECISE PACKAGING: Travis Titus operates the packaging machine, placing 1 pound of ground beef in each roll. He places the rolls in boxes as they come off the machine. At right, Walker Titus explains how the machine works to Kettler. This machine was already in operation before the grant program.</p>

<p>BETTER LIGHTING: Not all the grant money was spent on equipment. At Knightstown, the money was also used to install better lighting, which makes a more efficient, safer working environment.</p>

<p>MAXED OUT: Knightstown Meats and Catering would like to expand its facility to hold more carcasses in storage. This is part of the current storage capacity for beef on the rail.</p>