As part of a $223 million allocation of funds to a wide range of meat and poultry processors, Pure Prairie Farms located in Charles City, Iowa will refurbish a chicken processing facility. The Simply Essentials plant closed in August 2019 and was purchased by Pure Prairie Farms following approval by a state bankruptcy court. The company intends to process chickens produced under either the certified organic program or from flocks fed all-vegetable diets.
The company includes management from GNP company that was acquired by Pilgrim's Pride in 2016. The operation was planned to be functional during mid-2022. It remains to be seen whether the infusion of capital by USDA will resuscitate this plant that has had a checked history as a hen plant with a number of financial failures.