Fluffy Butt Farms LLC and Park Street Market are two of 26 organizations in the state that recently received a grant. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development awarded over $1.8 million in total.
Fluffy Butt Farms in Battle Creek received a grant of just under $70,000 from Underserved, Value Added and Regional Food System grants. This will help them to purchase equipment such as an egg washer, walk in freezer and butchering tables.
Tawney Wolters opened the farm with her husband Chris, after both retired from the airline industry.
The Wolters say they were surprised to have been recipients of the grant.
“We didn't know about it,” Wolters said. “Somebody had contacted us and told us about the grant and so we kind of sat there and reviewed it and we're like, 'actually this is everything that we're doing, and this is everything that we're trying to do.'”
The butchering tables will allow the Wolters to butcher their own chickens.
"Which will save money at the butcher,” Wolters said. “And so, we can pass that savings on to our customers, which we're really excited about.”
Fluffy Butt Farms wants to operate as a more natural farm, where animals can graze on fresh grass and pasture. Wolters says with the help of the grant, they can make that a reality.
“I'm excited that we get to kind of put the dream of a more natural farm into reality and that it just completely helps us out with that,” Wolters said.
The farm originally started with only chickens but has since added more animals. The Wolters say they are working toward rotational grazing on the farm as well.
The Park Street Market in Kalamazoo received a grant of $100,000. This will allow the store to purchase food-processing equipment and hire new employees. The Market did not respond to requests for an interview.
