When she was five years old Megan Kingsbury’s grandfather gifted her a bred heifer. Reflecting on this gift that through a carefully curated breeding program continues to grow the herd Grimes Cattle Company raises as a fifth-generation Kadoka, South Dakota, cow/calf producer, Kingsbury says raising cattle has taught her incredible life lessons – perseverance through hard times, value of the free-market economy, belief in a Higher Power, love of cultural heritage and tradition, family values, strong sense of right and wrong, and the unique connection humans have with the earth and with the animal kingdom.
“Nothing in life worth doing is easy, and everything that is worth having, requires dedication and patience,” mused Kingsbury in an interview with South Dakota Farmers Union’s Lura Roti.
Western Legacy Development Corporation (WLDC) will put the competition back into the markets that are necessary for the next generation of producers to continue the way of life and values associated with the cattle business.
The eight-thousand head per day packing facility will be the largest packing facility in North America upon completion. The facility will process both bison and cattle and is costing in excess of $1.1B to build.
“By creating competition again in the markets and by putting the all-important second bidder in the cash market we are materially able to increase profitability for the producers,” Kingsbury said.
The next-generation, first of its kind facility, is currently in the Research and Development (R&D) phase. The project is currently ahead of schedule and intends to break ground beginning of 2023 and have the first line operational early 2026. The facility is focused on procuring USA protein and feeding America first.
“With the technology, robotics, and artificial intelligence that is in this facility we will check the boxes of transparency, traceability, and repeatability that many of the cattle producer organizations have long advocated for in some format and that our friends at Fortune 100 companies are demanding for their consumers,” Kingsbury said. This is commonly referred to in policy conversations as M-COOL [Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling].
WLDC is excited to have Farmer Union Industries as its partner on the rendering side of the facility. “The effort with Farmers Union Industries is additive, and we are thrilled to have FUI as our partner. Dale Bednarek and his team continue to be wonderful as we welcome all that FUI and Farmers Union represents,” said Curtis Harper, Chief Operating Officer of WLDC.
“A packing facility focused on American beef will help strengthen South Dakota’s beef industry,” said Doug Sombke, President of South Dakota Farmers Union, a fourth-generation crop and cattle producer. “Increasing competition for American beef is a sustainable solution for family-farmers and ranchers across the state who raise and feed cattle,” said Sombke.
On September 3rd at 1 P.M. at the Freedom Stage on the South Dakota State Fairgrounds, Huron, South Dakota, Farmers Union will host a forum focused on WLDC’s “Next Generation Packing Facility.” CEO, Megan Kingsbury will be the key panelist and will be joined by Doug Sombke, President of South Dakota Farmers Union; Dale Bednarek, CEO of Farmers Union Industries and WLDC R&D board member; and James Halverson, Executive Director of South Dakota Stockgrowers and WLDC R&D board member.
The forum is open to the public.
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