Adirondack Meat Company established its new, 7,500 square-foot USDA-certified food processing facility in Ticonderoga, Essex County, New York.

The Adirondack Meat Company's new meat processing facility is designed to process and return packaged products to livestock suppliers. The operation, which is the first USDA-certified processing facility in the Adirondack Park, significantly reduces the distance traveled for livestock farmers and helps reduce the lengthy wait time that currently exists, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Office said. The upgrades allow the Adirondack Meat Company to provide faster turnaround as well as the needed capacity to limit processing transportation costs and delays, resulting in increased profitability and sustainability for area farmers.

Adirondack Meat Company Owner Peter Ward said, "We look forward to working with local beef, pork, sheep and goat producers throughout the North Country and Champlain Valley region of New York State. Working with local producers on the growing need for fresh, all-natural animals will be very productive for our region. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Governor Cuomo and his staff for making opportunities like this available to small businesses in New York State.”

“Opportunities like this give small businesses a chance to succeed. Special thanks go to Essex County IDA for all the time and effort they put into this project as well as our partners at Empire State Development, the North Country Regional Economic Development Council, NYS Ag& Markets, USDA RD, North Country Alliance, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Town of Ticonderoga, the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce and the Essex County Board of Supervisors,” he added.

“Targeted investments in local job-creating industries is helping bring economic growth to communities in Essex County and across the State,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “The Regional Council process has recognized that no one knows a community better than its own residents and business leaders, and by crafting a regionally tailored, job-growth strategy the North Country REDC is helping leverage smart investments like this one to grow the local economy.”

Through the second round of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, the project was awarded a total of $465,000 and identified as a regional priority by the North Country Regional Economic Development Council, with funding approved last week by Empire State Development's Board of Directors.

As part of that process, the Adirondack Meat Company was awarded $300,000 from Empire State Development and $165,000 from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, through the Essex County IDA. In addition, the USDA is guaranteeing a loan for the Adirondack Meat Company.

Anthony G. Collins, President of Clarkson University and Co-chair of the NCREDC said, “Reflecting the diversity of the North Country economy, the Regional Economic Development Council’s Agriculture Work Group represents 4,268 farms in the last agricultural census and nearly $600 million of sales from 1.16 million acres dedicated to farming across the seven counties. The introduction of Adirondack Meat Company as a USDA-approved processing facility adds to our region’s agricultural assets and advances the sustainability principle to buy local that so many people in our region have shared with us as important to them through our public participation sessions.”