Ground will be broken on meat processing plant in Manchester by spring
September 10, 2026 town hall meeting at the Manchester Mill on the Water on Damian Craft Meat’s 18.5 million dollar USDA certified meat processing plant being built in Manchester. Photo credit: Colleen McKenney.
by Colleen A. McKenney
On Thursday, September 10 over 125 community members, including at least 37 farmers, attended a town hall meeting at the Manchester Mill on the Water in downtown Manchester. The meeting was to discuss the current status and progress of the 18.5+ million dollar USDA inspected meat processing plant being built by Damian Craft Meats right here in Manchester. Co-owners Damian Rivera and Rosemary Linares had prepared a presentation, showed a video about their plans and facility, presented speakers, as well as answered questions.
View the slide presentation and watch the video here: https://tinyurl.com/dcmtownhall2026. Take a look and see how many local celebrities you can spot in the video!
Damian’s Craft Meats will be a USDA inspected, multi-species processing facility. Initially they will be able to process beef, hogs, sheep, and goats. They will also guarantee that the animal that is brought in is the one that the farmer takes out. In addition they will have “boutique meat shop” open to the public and plan to distribute to stores in the region. They expect to break ground this coming spring and begin operations the following spring.
Their facility will fill a gap in processing facilities that will not only benefit local farmers and the community but also the wider state. According to Linares, this will be the first new USDA inspected facility approved in Michigan in over 10 years. They specifically want to provide better access for small and midsized farms. These farmers often have to travel hours to get their animals processed. They also highlighted their commitment to the humane treatment of the animals which several speakers Thursday, mentioned can be lacking at some facilities.
Several local farmers spoke on the direct impacts this new facility will have on their operations and the benefits it provides to them. One farmer shared that the closer facility would save him over 28 hours a year just in travel time, plus the gas savings, and the shorter drive will be less stressful on his animals. Another shared his concerns about how he takes great care to raise his animals humanely and the challenge it is to have to trust them to a facility he is not sure is taking care of them how he would expect. Rivera and Linares also discussed, as did at least one farmer, the ability to provide organic compliant processing options at the new facility, which is currently a challenge to access locally.
Rivera highlighted his desire to provide employment opportunities, with living wages, to local residents, and in building long term ties in this community.
Mayor Pat Vailliencourt spoke about the city’s role in getting this project together and securing funding from the state for site preparation; including sewer and water infrastructure for the industrial zone. The city staff and mayor have been supportive collaborators and advocates of this project as it will benefit the city and area residents.
Manchester Mill on the Water was set up beautifully for this event and demonstrated they are a great location for hosting town hall style events as well as other meetings in addition to special events like weddings. Their staff was on hand for refreshments during the town hall, for the dinner prior to the event, and were joined by Linares and Rivera’s children Damian Rivera Jr and Joaquin Rivera-Linares assisting in the background.
Mill owners Dawn Donnelly and Ken Magee were very happy with the community participation in the event. This is the largest crowd they’ve had in the Mill to date. On the topic of the processing plant Donnelly added, “Any new ventures that support local business can only be a good thing, especially when the business also benefits the farming community”.
Michigan State Senator Sue Shink (District 14) was also in attendance. When asked about the state’s support of this project, Senator Shink stated, “I think this project is good for Michigan farmers, Michigan residents, and it’s been a lot harder than it should have [been] to get it going. This is the direction I’d like to see our investment in Michigan agriculture grow on into the future.”
If you missed the meeting, you can learn more at an in person event at Weber’s Restaurant in Ann Arbor which will include dinner, on September 22 at 5:30pm. To register for this event, sign up at: http://forms.gle/UMt6DnXwzqoKmwdz9.
Farmers interested in using the facility are invited to complete a non-binding Letter of Intent indicating their anticipated livestock processing needs for 2028. Farmers who complete an LOI will be eligible for a 10% discount on hanging-weight processing charges for livestock processed in 2028. The LOI is available at tinyurl.com/dcmfarmerloi.
To stay informed about upcoming events and project updates, join Damian’s Craft Meats’ mailing list: tinyurl.com/joindcmlist You can also follow Damian’s Craft Meats on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok at @damianscraftmeats or visit their website: www.damianscraftmeats.com
Left to right: Rosemary Linares, Damian Rivera, and Farmer Dave Steinhauser, from Steinhauser Farms in Ann Arbor. Photo credit: Colleen McKenney.
Images of proposed facility from the presentation, courtesy of Damian Craft Meats:
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