Herbruck's Poultry Ranch is set for some big changes thanks in part to a $100,000 performance-based grant.

On Wednesday, the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development announced a $100,000 Food and Agriculture Investment Program grant to Herbruck's Poultry Ranch. Herbruck's is based in Ionia County, but they also use a processing site in Coopersville.

Herbruck's move to cage-free farming is a trend we can expect to see more of across the industry.

Some of Herbruck's customers will be requiring certified cage-free egg production by 2025. Herbruck's will convert a facility in Ionia to cage-free housing by 2024. The project will create 50 new jobs over three years.

The Coopersville processing site is shared with another company, Continental Dairy Facilities. Continental Dairy received a $225,000 grant to expand their offerings and total production. A new production line will result in $120 million in private investment and 42 new jobs. They will now also produce butter and buttermilk powder from cream.

Both projects require additional funding which will come from both public and private sources.

We continue to hear a lot about new buildings and new businesses, while many older chains are have a tougher time. It's good to see strong growth from West Michigan-owned companies and it's good to see it coming from an industry that's important to our local local economy.

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