LANCE GAITHER

lance.gaither@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

With the help of a nearly $800,000 grant, Marksbury Farm soon will expand operations and add dozens of new jobs.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will allow Marksbury to add a new grinding facility and slaughter floor. The expansion will double slaughter capacity and increase their grinding capability by 250 percent. The expansion is expected to add 25 jobs to meet the increased production capability.

The grant, which totals $779,080, is made through the USDA Meat and Poultry Production Expansion Program, Rural Business Development Grant Program, and the Community Facilities Program, which aim to improve economic opportunities and quality of life in rural Kentucky.

Owner of Marksbury Farm, Preston Correll, said that expansion of the grind facility was already underway when Marksbury received the grant.

“The meat industry as a whole has been hard pressed through Covid.” said Correll. “Even though demand is slacking up a bit, throughout that time we had this plan to expand in mind, but financing the expansion is a real challenge.”

Correll said that although there are currently no plans for additional expansion in the future, he is open to the idea.

“We are tiny compared to the rest of the industry in Kentucky,” Correll said. “We have a positive impact on those that we work with and this expansion will allow us to work with more. If you do a good job there is always pressure to grow. We are very focused on our ideals and if we can grow without compromising on those ideals than we will make that decision. Eventually we will be the right size for the people and farmers we work with but the right size can change over time.”