WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – For the first time in 50 years, a farmer-owned and operated processing plant is coming to the region.
The state-of-the-art facility will be the largest in the area in just a few more weeks. Mark Zananti with the Appalachian Producers Cooperative said they’ll be able to give local farmers another outlet for their product.
“Majority of calves that are birthed in this area go to sale,” Zananti said. “They go to feedlots in the Midwest somewhere. Then they’re processed out there, and that product is shipped back. We will be able to do a lot of that here locally, and we’ll sell through wholesalers back to grocery stores, restaurants, and those types of establishments.”
Wait times for the often overwhelmed smaller operations will be shortened…