April 4 Newberry Meat Processing Facility Special Meeting
Press release from Alachua County
ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – The Alachua County Commission will hold a Special Meeting on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, to discuss the proposed Newberry Meat Processing Facility. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the Jack Durrance Auditorium on the second floor of the County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville).
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Federal government provided Alachua County funding through the American Rescue Plan. Alachua County has budgeted $2.5 million to construct a USDA-certified meat processing facility/workforce training center.
Learn more about the Meat Processing Facility.
The County Commission approved the preliminary work plan at their December 6, 2022, Special Meeting.
View the December 6 discussion.
View the backup items from this meeting:
- Alachua County Farm Bureau LoS 10-17-22 (1).pdf
- Angle Support for Meat Processing Facility.pdf
- CSNCFL Letter of Support – Alachua County Meat Processing Plant (2).pdf
- Final Meat Processing Job-Training Facility SLFRF-Recovery-Plan-Performance-Report 11-17-22.pdf
- LargeAnimalMeatProcessSupportLtr_Nov2022.pdf
- Santa Fe College LoS Sept 2022 (1).pdf
- BA – ARP2021x014.pdf
Not needed.
The County has no business being in the slaughterhouse business.
This clean sanitary $5.5 million Human FOOD Production Plant is proposed right across the fence from the regional wastewater treatment plant, next to the sewer plant spray field, next to a regional sewer sludge composting facility for 15 cities, next to a fire training facility, and next to a county hazardous waste collection center. Can they find a more toxic location for a Human Food Production Plant? Why yes they can. This site is also the “North Florida Crop Dusting EPA SUPERFUND Site.” Don’t know about you, but I love steaks containing my minimum daily dose of toxaphene. Yum yum.
“Affordable” food security will become increasingly important as as inflation ravages the US petrodollar. The concept of local food production for local consumption is already trending and avoids manipulated supply chain interruptions and higher transportation costs. Good nutrition is fundamental to good health.
City of Alachua was home of Copeland Sausage for many year and it give many jobs to so many people . It was bought out by Green Giant an closed down the main street of Alachua with many mom & pop businesses also shut their doors. Some business are needed to keep people and small towns in motion.
Copeland employed 400 people. This little slaughterhouse will employ 10. It will not make a dent in the employment picture of the county. Wish and dream all you want, but the Glory Days of Copeland Sausage in 1965 are never going to return.