Arizona farmer creates jobs by reviving meat processing facility in small mining town

The Heartquists purchased the 120-acre butchering facility with a USDA farm loan and quickly realized that it needed attention. The land wasn’t in great condition, and the equipment needed to be upgraded.Using free grant writing guidance from Local First Arizona’s Economic Resource Center, the Heartquists received a $200,000 USDA grant to renovate the facility as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, a stimulus package approved by Congress in 2021.

The improved facility created jobs, grew the town’s economy and boosted his fellow farmers’ bottom line. The federal grant funding allowed Heartquist Hollow Farm to go from three full-time employees to six and from two days a week to four.