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.