Pure Prairie Farms to Begin Production Wednesday in Charles City
Less than a year after it was purchased by new owners and just over three years since it was last in operation, a Charles City chicken processing plant is set to return to production Wednesday.
Last December, Pure Prairie Farms (PPF) completed the purchase of the former Simply Essentials facility, which had been shut down since August of 2019, putting over 400 people out of work.
PPF officials say processing will resume at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning and employ about 50 people initially. If they reach their full capacity of operations, the plant could employ between 250 and 400.
Momentum for PPF’s reboot of the facility has been building within the past month.
Last week the City Council approved a contract for PPF to lease the one block section of North Main Street directly in front of their facility, at $22,000 a year for three years with the option to buy in year four of the agreement at a final payment of $34,000. Taking over the street is seen as vital for the long term success of the plant by allowing distribution trucks to get in and out more efficiently.
Two weeks ago, it was announced that PPF would receive a USDA loan of almost $39 million and a USDA grant of almost $7 million to assist with expansion of the operations.
