ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced it has awarded over $560,000 in grants to bolster workforce development and training in the meat processing industry statewide. These funds come from the Meat Processing Train and Retain Grant program and the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Meat Education and Training (MEAT) Grant program. The Train and Retain Grant program allocated $341,690 to three organizations aiming to enhance the workforce for small-to-medium-sized meat and poultry processors. The funding supports efforts such as tuition reimbursement, sign-on bonuses, and childcare stipends to tackle workforce shortages. The Latino Economic Development Center will support a new meat processor in Lismore and assist up to

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