Meat processing facility coming to Grayson County

Published October 13, 2016 by Jessica Sabbath

River Ridge Land and Cattle Co. LLC announced Wednesday they will build a new meat processing facility in Grayson County.

The $2.1 million investment is expected to create 11 jobs over the next three years. In addition, River Ridge has agreed to purchase almost $4 million in Virginia-grown beef and pork to use at the facility.

“River Ridge’s new investment in Grayson County is a game-changer for our Virginia beef and pork producers, addressing the scarcity in the market for local meats and processing facilities,” Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry Basil I. Gooden said in a statement. “This operation will provide a major new custom processing option for producers in the region and create an asset for the industry for decades to come.”

River Ridge Land and Cattle Company is a Grayson County beef producer that markets its 100 percent grass-fed beef through Grayson Natural Foods. The company’s new USDA-inspected meat processing facility will provide meat processing infrastructure to area beef and pork producers.

The facility will cut and package fresh meat for wholesale and retail customers, as well as offer a variety of value-added processing and packaging services, including meat snack sticks, jerky, cooked products, and specialty meat packaging and preparation for institutional and wholesale customers.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved a $50,000 grant from the governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund for the project. The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission approved $45,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds.