Published June 4, 2013 in the Rutland Herald Black River Produce adds meat-processing plant By Guy C. Denechaud Springfield, VT-based Black River Produce has undertaken a major expansion to its facilities and its product lines this by processing meats for distribution to customers. Black River Produce started processing meats in a building with more than 43,000 square feet in April, according to Sean Buchanan, head of business development. The firm purchased the building, which was originally constructed for Ben & Jerry’s in 1986 and required extensive renovation and retrofitting to accommodate the new equipment. About one dozen new employees staff the new space. The company employed about 160 at the start of this year, and the existing facility for processing and storage of produce was about 56,000 square feet in size. Black River Produce’s market includes all of Vermont and the western portions of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Its meat processing initially included production of fresh sausage, the breaking down and cutting up of whole animals, and the retail packaging of local meats for distribution. “We are interested in the economic feasibility of dry-cure, ready-to-eat local meats, and fully cooked sausages,” Buchanan said. “We moved into the Saratoga, NY area this spring, and are now brokering regional meats through partner distributors and wholesalers throughout the Northeast.” Black River Produce has been selling local meat products to its customers for about five years. It did about $5 million in this business in 2012, selling out of the products every week. “We started with a little special order for chefs who were looking for high-quality natural and specialty meats, and then launched into a full local meat program,” said Buchanan. “We carry local meats from several local producers, and have worked with the [area’s] slaughterhouses for cutting and meat processing. “We continue to work with them as we have opened our new facility, and hope that we can offer some services, such as making sausage and hamburger patties, to them. We all share the same goal: increasing access to New England’s livestock and creating new markets for producers. “The significant expansion of our meat-processing capability now offers customers the opportunity to have meat available for next-day delivery, and cut precisely the way they want,” Buchanan said. “We also now are in a position to create retail lines for grocers and independent retailers.” Black River Produce also carries a large variety of produce items, with many of them organic. “We buy local products direct from growers, and we value the relationships with these growers highly,” he said. “We also go to the Boston Market five days a week, and to points along the East Coast weekly. We also buy some produce directly from California.” Bob Flint, executive director of Springfield Regional Development Corporation (SRDC), said his group is “very happy to see this facility come back to life and once again be a significant part of the food production infrastructure of the region.” “Black River continues to evolve and make proactive investments in facilitating the expansion of local food production and providing an avenue to available markets for area farmers,” Flint said. v
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:01:20 +0000
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