FAIRBANKS, ALASKA — Tanana Valley Meats received its certification from the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week and begins commercially slaughtering and processing cattle and hogs on June 23, according to Newsminer.com.

Scott Miller, president of Agricultural Investors LLC, an investment group that took over the struggling plant about a year ago, said the first cattle to be processed will be a load of Delta barley-finished cattle yielding all-natural beef, as well as several hogs. Meat sold from the plant will be free of growth hormones, steroids and antibiotics.

Mr. Miller is among 18 private investors who purchased Tanana Valley Meats, formerly known as B-Y Farms, when the business almost shut down in 2007 due to financial challenges. The investors have been working for the past year to upgrade the plant and renew its U.S.D.A. certification.

In addition to Tanana Valley Meats, the only other U.S.D.A.-certified butchering plant in Alaska is Delta Meat & Sausage Co. in Delta Junction.