Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced the recipients of 33 Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants awarded to farmers and small businesses in 28 counties, totaling $463,000 in state funding. The grants, which help expand Iowa-grown, Iowa-raised, and Iowa-made food and ag products, leverage more than $1.3 million in total investments statewide. Among the recipients this year were Early Morning Harvest in Panora and Bruck Hillside Acres in Audubon. Early Morning Harvest received the maximum grant amount of $25,000 to purchase a semi-automatic bag filler and pneumatic conveying system, improving the efficiency of its retail flour operations. Bruck Hillside Acres was awarded $18,600 to install a new well and irrigation system dedicated to strawberry production—enhancing fruit quality and expanding seasonal availability. Naig says, “Consumers increasingly want more locally grown food, beverages, and ag products, and that’s great news for Iowa farmers and small businesses. These Choose Iowa value-added grants are designed to help small, young, and beginning farmers grow their businesses to meet this rising demand. By investing alongside them, we’re not only helping to expand the availability of Iowa products, but we’re also fueling economic opportunity in communities all across the state.” This year’s awards support a wide range of projects, from farm-to-table expansions to cider production and honey processing. Since 2022, the program has funded 100 projects, leveraging nearly $5.6 million of investment into Iowa’s local food infrastructure.
