Amador County – A luncheon June 13 sponsored by Calaveras Grown will discuss “value added livestock production” and its potential to help the regional rural economy.

Featured speaker Nancyjo Riekse is project manager of the USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant. In 2010 as Acting Coordinator of the High Sierra Resource Conservation & Development Council, she wrote more than 2 million dollars in grants for the five county areas the council serves, of Merced, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Calaveras and Amador Counties.

Riekse said: “One of the grants I wrote was for the Rural Business Opportunity Grant” for the “Next Step; Implementation of small and very small niche meat harvesting and cut and wrap facilities in California.”

Reikse also “provided technical assistance for many producers in areas of business planning, interpretation of state and federal regulations, grant writing, and other things to help our rural agricultural business and supporting businesses prosper.”

Calaveras Grown organizer Sean Kriletich said the meeting will be an opportunity for livestock producers and others to “see what work is currently being done toward value added livestock processing in our region and where we go from here.” There is no charge for the light lunch and meeting, and all interested parties are strongly encouraged to attend, especially livestock producers, processors and consumers.

Riekse said the meeting will discuss on-going and future projects “to keep the value of our region’s livestock production circulating within our region. This includes everything from a USDA approved Mobile Slaughter or Cut and Wrap Facilities to better utilizing existing facilities and resources.” The facilities and other options and opportunities will be discussed in detail “as we chart the course forward for increased economic and job opportunities in our region using our existing resources.”

Kriletich said “agriculture is an integral part of our rural community and by working together to create value added opportunities for livestock producers we can expand our markets, increase profits, eat better and develop a solid future for ranching in our region.”

Riekse will provide an overview of awarded Rural Business Enterprise Grants, and the next steps of “implementation of small and very small niche meat harvesting and cut and wrap facilities in California.”

Topics will include the Rural Business Opportunity Grant; Building Rural Prosperity from Regional Collaboration; Economic Gardening of Natural Resources; Community Networks; and Alternative Capital. An open discussion will follow the presentation.

The meeting is noon to 3 p.m. Monday, June 13 at the Calaveras County Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road in San Andreas, off Mountain Ranch Road.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.