Budget conference: Beef butcher bucks bound for Newberry

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 11/30/21-Members of the Florida Cattleman’s Association grill hamburgers in the courtyard of the Capitol during the Taste of Florida Agriculture Reception, Tuesday in Tallahassee. Members of the group estimated they would serve nearly 1,000 hamburgers during the event and brought more than 300 pounds of ground beef from Fort McCoy Meats in Marion County to feed Capitol guests. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

This is no Slaughterhouse Jive.

House and Senate budget committees are answering the question, “Where’s the beef?” after agreeing on a seven-figure spend for beef butchery training in Newberry.

Sen. Keith Perry looks to have secured $1.75 million to “construct a 10,000-square-foot USDA-inspected meat processing facility and workforce training site in Newberry, Florida.”

The money is moo-ving, and its impacts will be felt far and wide, with the abattoir serving “small cattle, pig, sheep and goat ranchers within a 100-mile radius,” according to the funding request.

The buildout will beef up “high-skill workforce training in butchery and other value-added meat processes in coordination with UF/IFAS and Santa Fe College” and “will support agricultural and food resilience in Florida helping to preserve small farms.”

Though Perry didn’t get the $2.5 million he wanted, he definitely got a lot of meat off the budget bone. The nonrecurring $1.75 million will match $2.75 million in local and other funds, ultimately ensuring more than $4 million is available, a significant pound of flesh for the buildout that will process up to 3,900 animals a year.

In other words, there’s a lot at “steak.”

Construction is expected to start by the beginning of next year, and the hope is to finish it by the end of 2026. Up to 70 jobs could be created by the Alachua County-owned facility.

Budget conference subcommittees will meet throughout the week to resolve differences in each area. When remaining issues reach an impasse, they will be “bumped” to the full budget conference committee.

Lawmakers must reach an agreement on a final spending plan by May 2 to meet the 72-hour “cooling off” period required by the state constitution before they can vote on the budget to avoid pushing the Regular Session past its scheduled May 5 end date.