STURGIS, SD. — The West River Foundation for Economic & Community Development (WRFECD) recently announced that it closed a first loan with Sturgis Meats LLC in Sturgis, SD, on a newly funded Meat & Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) grant. 

The loan is expected to fund extensive equipment updates at the facility. The expansion will also benefit customers with the plant’s new capacity for direct-to-consumer product fulfillment.

Sturgis plans for an increased cooling space, allowing more capacity for products and the operation to offer time and money savings to customers.

“This expansion is going to be a big benefit to our customers due to this direct-to-consumer advantage than other shops can’t offer,” said Cindy Tolle, owner of Sturgis Meats.

During 2023, WRFECD received a grant from the USDA’s Rural Development to create a new Meat and Poultry Loan Fund to increase processing capacity in South Dakota. The latest loan will be the first in western South Dakota. 

Sturgis Meats has operated in the state for nearly 60 years, processing beef, bison, pork, and now, yak. The company started the business with its Sturgis Beef Jerky secret recipe. Since then, the brand has grown to offer other flavors and products to customers in the area.