Brighton, Columbus Junction businesses receive Choose Iowa grants

DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded 26 Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants to Iowa farmers, small businesses and nonprofits in 22 counties totaling $463,000. Those grants will help leverage a total investment by grant awardees of $1,993,190.47. The Choose Iowa announcement was made as part of Iowa Ag Week during an event at Cortum Farm and Co. outside of Indianola, one of the 2024 grant awardees.

The list includes $15,432 for Acorn Bluff Farms in Columbus Junction, to “expand cold storage capacity for direct-to-consumer pork sales,” and $13,072 to Blueberry Bottom Farm in Brighton, to “Enhance blueberry production via the transition to moisture retaining to fabric mulch and add day-neutral strawberry production.”

Choose Iowa is the state’s signature brand for Iowa grown, Iowa-raised and Iowa-made products. These cost-share grants, which match up to $25,000 per project, were created to assist Iowa farmers, businesses and nonprofits increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings, expand markets and shorten supply chains.

This year’s grants will support a wide variety of projects including delivery and cold storage for direct-to-consumer meat sales, fruit production and processing, vegetable processing, packaging equipment, cider and wine canning and bottling, farm store and food hub construction, honey production, culinary herb, lavender and cut flower production, warehouse capacity, cover crop seed distribution, and agritourism opportunities, and much more.

“Consumers are continually looking for more Iowa food, beverages, and ag products to enjoy and these Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants will help Iowa farmers, small businesses, and nonprofits build that supply,” said Secretary Naig. “We are so pleased to provide these Choose Iowa cost-share investments because they will enhance the availability of Iowa products while creating positive economic activity in communities, big and small, across our state.”

Grant funding, for example, could be used to add new processing, packaging or sales techniques that add value to crops, livestock, and other products. For example, a farmer may invest in an on-farm store or cold storage to sell meat, eggs or produce direct to consumers, or a produce grower may upgrade their commercial kitchen to process larger quantities of seasonal produce. Grant funding could also be used for employee training and continuing education. Meat processing and dairy processing projects were not eligible for Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants as separate dedicated grant funding programs are available for both.

Individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that are currently living or operating in Iowa were eligible to apply and preference was given to small to medium-sized entities. This year, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship received 63 eligible grant requests totaling $1,130,139.00. The grant program remains highly competitive, given that requests far exceed the available funding of $463,000.

Since the launch of the grants in 2022, $1,173,690.00 in Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants have been awarded to 67 projects which has leveraged a total investment of $4,268,099.19.