The Producer Partnership

What The Producer Partnership does

The Producer Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in April 2020 by fifth-generation Montana rancher Matt Pierson and headquartered 12 miles east of Livingston, Montana. Its core function is to collect donated cull livestock (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, bison) from Montana producers, process them at its own USDA federally inspected modular facility built by Washington-state-based Friesla, and distribute the resulting ground beef, breakfast sausage, and pork products free of charge to food banks, schools, veteran programs, and community centers. The organization operates within an ecosystem anchored by a statewide distribution partnership with the Montana Food Bank Network, which provides access to 340+ recipient organizations across all 56 Montana counties, and is supported by 12 livestock auction drop-off locations across the state.

The facility itself is a modular four-module system comprising a knock/evisceration room, quick-chill freezer, dry-aging cooler, and cut-and-wrap room with a custom freezer unit designed to match Montana Food Bank Network pallet dimensions for direct semi-truck loading. Technical components include the Vista Track temperature monitoring system, a double-grinding system for ground protein, a Risco automated packaging stuffer for one-pound packages, and a Patty-O-Matic patty former. Design throughput is 15 cattle carcasses per day and up to 300 animals per month at full capacity, at roughly half the construction cost of a traditional brick-and-mortar facility.

The Producer Partnership's economic model is grant- and donation-dependent. Inflows include donated cull livestock (with producers receiving tax contribution letters), individual financial contributions, foundation grants (notably Town Pump Charitable Foundation at $30,000 in 2021 and again in 2022, plus Kendeda Fund and State of Montana Business Innovation Grant of $25,000), and corporate sponsorships (Big Sky Brewing). The organization is building a future earned-revenue stream through retail custom processing services for partner producers. Since founding it has donated nearly 250,000 pounds of Montana-raised animal protein to statewide charities and has begun a workforce development extension through the Pathways in Protein apprenticeship program with Joliet Public Schools.

Name

The Producer Partnership

Legal name

The Producer Partnership

Website

https://producerpartnership.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Producer Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that processes donated cull livestock from Montana ranchers at its USDA-inspected modular facility in Livingston and distributes the resulting protein free of charge to food banks, schools, and veteran programs across all 56 Montana counties via the Montana Food Bank Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116), Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering (311611)

SIC

Meat Packing Plants (2011), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Ground & Formed Meat Products Manufacturing (Burgers, Sausages, Meatballs) (AFAKALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beef Offal & Variety Meats Processing (Organs, Tongue, Tripe) (AFANAAAH)

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Meat processing services
• Food bank donations
• Livestock donation program
• Charitable food assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Livingston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Livestock Donations: Montana ranchers donate cull animals (non-calf producing heifers, injured animals, retiring cows or bulls) which are processed at no charge to the producer. Producers receive a tax contribution letter for the value of protein processed.
2. Financial Contributions: Individual donors contribute money to cover processing costs. Donations go directly to pay for processing of donated animals.
3. Grant Funding: Grants from foundations including $3,500 COVID-19 Resilience Fund, $25,000 Business Innovation Grant from State of Montana, grants from Kendeda Fund, Town Pump Charitable Foundation ($30,000 in 2021 and 2022), and corporate sponsorship from Big Sky Brewing.
4. Retail Processing Services: Future revenue from livestock producers who pay to have animals processed in the organization's federally inspected facility. Designed to help offset operational costs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Producer Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that processes donated cull livestock (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, bison) from Montana ranchers at its own USDA federally inspected modular facility and distributes the resulting ground beef, breakfast sausage, and pork products to food banks, schools, veteran programs, and community centers across Montana. Producers receive a tax contribution letter for the value of protein processed, and all meat is provided free of charge to recipient organizations and food-insecure individuals.

Product overview

The Producer Partnership operates as a single unified nonprofit service focused on collecting donated livestock from Montana producers, processing these animals at their own USDA federally inspected modular meat processing facility, and distributing the resulting protein products to food banks across Montana. The core offering is their Livestock Processing Services and Modular Meat Processing System (Montana's first federally inspected nonprofit facility), which transforms donated cull animals into ground beef, breakfast sausage, and pork products packaged in one-pound containers. The facility, built by Friesla, includes processing modules for harvest, evisceration, quick chilling, dry aging, cut & wrap, and freezer storage. Additional services include a Livestock Donation Program where producers receive tax contribution letters, and Custom Meat Processing for partner producers. The organization works exclusively with the Montana Food Bank Network for statewide distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Livestock Processing Services Processing of donated cull livestock into consumer-ready protein products at a USDA federally inspected facility, provided at no charge to Montana livestock producers in exchange for tax contribution letters.
• Livestock Donation Program Program enabling Montana livestock producers to donate cull animals, with the Producer Partnership coordinating pickup, processing at no charge, and providing tax contribution letters to donors.
• Custom Meat Processing Retail processing services available to producers who are part of the Producer Partnership family, including custom cuts, primal cuts, patties via Patty-O-Matic machine, and vacuum sealing for steaks.
• Ground Beef (Hamburger) One-pound packages of USDA-inspected locally Montana-raised ground beef processed from donated cull animals and distributed to Montana Food Bank Network and other approved nonprofits.
• Breakfast Sausage Processed breakfast sausage made from donated livestock, part of the protein variety distributed to food banks.
• Pork and Lamb Products Processed pork and lamb products from donated animals, expanding protein variety for Montana food banks beyond beef.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 250,000 pounds of Montana-raised animal protein donated since founding in Spring 2020
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Governor Greg GianforteminorOthers · 1 November 2023Toured the facility on November 5, 2025 and donated a portion of his salary to support the organization's work across Montana.
• FrieslacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Washington-state-based company contracted to build the modular meat processing facility. The facility operates at half the cost of traditional brick and mortar facilities.
• Montana Food Bank NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Primary distribution partner for processed protein. Montana Food Bank Network receives donations and distributes through its network of 340+ food banks, pantries, shelters, senior centers, and school organizations across all 56 Montana counties. Partnership enables statewide distribution that Producer Partnership alone could not achieve.
• Public Auction Yards (Billings)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location for donated livestock. Producers can drop off animals anytime and indicate the animal is for the Producer Partnership.
• Billings Livestock CommissioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location for donated livestock. Producers can drop off animals anytime and indicate the animal is for the Producer Partnership.
• Western Livestock Association (Great Falls)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location accepting livestock donations on the third Thursday of each month.
• Bear Paw Livestock (Chinook)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location accepting livestock donations on the third Monday of each month.
• Glasgow StockyardscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location accepting livestock donations. Call ahead; sale days are Thursdays.
• Glendive Livestock ExchangecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location accepting livestock donations on the third Wednesday of each month.
• Sidney Livestock MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location accepting livestock donations on the second Monday of each month.
• Miles City Livestock CommissioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location accepting livestock donations on the second Thursday of each month.
• Lewistown Livestock AuctioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location accepting livestock donations on the third Tuesday of each month.
• Montana Livestock Auction (Ramsay)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Drop-off location accepting livestock donations on the second Tuesday of each month.
• Pioneer Meats (Big Timber)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Local meat processor that processed donated animals in the early stages of the organization. Owner Brian Engle was one of the first processors to help.
• Matt's Meats / Matt's Old Fashioned Butcher Shop (Livingston)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Local meat processor in Livingston that processed donated animals. Owner Matt Feldtman has been processing for the organization since the beginning.
• Joliet Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partner in Pathways in Protein Meat Processing Apprenticeship Program, providing meat processing skills training to students.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Heifer International: Global nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty through livestock donation and agricultural training. Comparable animal-donation mission and rural-community focus, but operates internationally at much larger scale and does not run its own USDA-inspected processing facility.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National food bank network serving 200+ member food banks. Comparable hunger-relief mission and downstream distribution scale, but operates as a much broader food-rescue aggregator rather than processing donated livestock itself.
• Tyson Foods: Major U.S. protein processor with multiple USDA-inspected beef, pork, and prepared-foods plants. Overlaps in regulated meat-processing technology, food-safety compliance, and ground-beef production — though commercially rather than as a charitable processor.
• Cargill: One of the largest commercial meat processors and protein producers in North America. Operates federally inspected beef/pork processing at vastly larger scale; useful as a benchmark for commercial-meat-processing capabilities the Producer Partnership leverages via Friesla.

Direct peers

• Hunters Feeding America: Nonprofit connecting hunters who donate wild game with food banks and feeding programs. Comparable mission and donated-protein-to-food-bank delivery model, but uses wild game harvests rather than rancher-donated livestock.
• Meat the Need: New Zealand-based charity that accepts livestock donations from farmers and turns the protein into meals for food-insecure families. Operates an almost identical cull-animal-to-food-bank value chain, making it the most directly comparable peer globally.
• Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH): National nonprofit that processes donated livestock (primarily venison) and distributes the meat to food banks and charities to combat hunger. Closely comparable donation-to-processing-to-food-bank model, though operating at multiple state chapters rather than a single owned facility.
• Beef Counts (Idaho Beef Council): Idaho program that facilitates beef donations from cattle producers to the Idaho Foodbank. Directly analogous producer-donation-to-food-bank model in an adjacent cattle-heavy state, though Beef Counts outsources processing rather than operating its own facility.

Others

• North American Meat Institute: Trade association representing U.S. meat and poultry packers and processors. Adjacent to the Producer Partnership in regulatory environment, food-safety standards, and federal inspection framework, though not a direct operational peer.

Regional players

• Yellowstone River Beef: USDA federally inspected commercial meat processor in Williston, ND that has provided overflow processing capacity for eastern Montana producers donating to the Producer Partnership. Comparable federally inspected processing capability in the adjacent region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ProducerPartnership
• Instagraminstagram.com/producer.partnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Producer Partnership