# USDA Awards West Virginia Processing Grants

On November 3, 2026, USDA announced **$464,500 in Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program grants** for Lost River Meat Company and Zimmerman Gajewski in West Virginia. The completed awards support equipment and facility improvements intended to expand processing capacity, add value-added products, improve waste management, and increase local market access. This is not an open solicitation; the funded work may be relevant to suppliers serving the awardees’ processing and facility-upgrade needs.

- Lost River Meat Company received $250,000 for beef-processing equipment and capacity expansion; Zimmerman Gajewski received $214,500 for processing efficiency, specialty products, waste management, and backup power.
- Equipment and facility-service providers can use the award scopes to identify areas of potential demand, while recognizing that the grants have already been awarded and do not constitute a government bid opportunity.
- The awards illustrate USDA’s use of grants to expand local food-processing capacity and support rural supply chains.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** November 04, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- USDA Rural Development (USDA RD)
- Rural Business-Cooperative Services

### Vendors
- Lost River Meat Company, LLC (MPPEP grant recipient)
- Zimmerman Gajewski, LLC (MPPEP grant recipient)

### Key Quotes
> Expanding local processing capacity is critical to building a resilient food supply chain and keeping more economic value in our rural communities.
> — John Reisenweber, West Virginia State Director, USDA Rural Development

### Sources
- [USDA Invests $464,500 to Expand West Virginia Meat Processing Capacity, Strengthen Competition and Support Ranchers | Rural Development](https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/usda-invests-464500-expand-west-virginia-meat-processing-capacity-strengthen-competition-and-support) - USDA