Food distribution company Wholesome Foods, Inc. will expand its meat processing operation by adding a new, USDA-inspected slaughter facility at its location in Shenandoah County, Virginia. The $1.2 million project is expected to create 12 jobs.

The company plans to source nearly all of the livestock for the new facility from Virginia farms, creating an important new market for local cattle and hogs.

“We are excited to grow our business with the help of the Commonwealth and Shenandoah County through the AFID program,” said Wholesome Foods President Wes Pence. “This expansion will increase our capacity, add jobs to our work force and provide a much needed service to the community and local farmers for years to come.”

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) worked with Shenandoah County and the Shenandoah County Industrial Development Authority to secure the project for the Commonwealth.

“As Virginia’s largest private industry, our agricultural sector draws its strength from the diversity of production and the entrepreneurial spirit of families like the Pences, whose company has served the Shenandoah community for more than 50 years,” noted Governor Glenn Youngkin. “I thank Wholesome Foods for its commitment to the Commonwealth and wish them success in the future serving the farmers and consumers of Virginia and beyond.”

Governor Youngkin approved a $40,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, which the County will match with local funds.

“Virginia’s livestock producers benefit when family-owned companies with a strong commitment to local sourcing, like Wholesome Foods, make meaningful investments into the processing infrastructure,” added Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. “I am pleased that the Commonwealth could partner with Shenandoah County through the AFID program to support this important expansion of Virginia’s meat processing industry.”

Wholesome Foods has grown into a full-scale food distributor as it supplies wholesale accounts in the mid-Atlantic and provides local home consumers with a variety of meats and cheeses.