Submitted Photo 1481 Meats owners Kelani and Tyler Welstad opened their doors for custom exempt processing in September 2023.

BISMARCK — 1481 Meats of Upham was awarded $70,880 from the Agriculture Diversification and Development (ADD) Fund to expand and enhance meat processing services, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced.

The award was included in four grants totaling $654,088 that were approved at the ADD quarterly meeting Nov. 20 in Bismarck.

The fund was created to support new or expanding value-added-agriculture businesses that demonstrate financial feasibility, enhance profitability for the industry, create jobs and grow North Dakota’s economy.

1481 Meats owners Tyler and Kelani Welstad opened their doors for custom exempt processing in September 2023 and their first official day under state inspection was May 24.

“We started the business because there is a void of meat processors in their area,” Tyler Welstad said in an Agriculture Department news release. “I’ve always had an interest in meat processing, and we decided that we would take the initiative to serve the ranching community with custom exempt and state inspected slaughter and processing services. We sell retail jerky, sticks and fresh meats.”

The plant is named 1481 Meats because it sits at the junction of Highway 14 and 81st St. N. in Upham.

Also receiving awards were Lewey’s Meat Shop, Mylo, $133,208.40 to establish a meat processing facility; St. Anthony Meats, Bismarck, $250,000 to establish a slaughter and processing facility; and North American Bison, New Rockford, $200,000 to support a new production area for bison hides.