By Andi Anderson
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced 15 Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grants, providing $750,000 in funding to expand on-farm processing and implement labor-saving technologies in the dairy industry. The grants aim to increase efficiency, support Iowa dairy farms, and enhance local dairy product availability.
Investing in Dairy Innovation
The cost-share grants will assist farms in purchasing new processing equipment, automated feeding systems, robotic milkers, and health monitoring tools. Iowa State University Creamery, one of the recipients, will use its grant to expand cheese processing at its on-campus facility.
“This program bolsters Iowa’s dairy industry by supporting modernization and efficiency,” said Secretary Naig. “Consumers will benefit from a wider variety of Iowa-made dairy products while helping farmers reduce labor challenges.”
Grant Details and Recipients
33 applications were submitted, requesting over $1.5 million, more than double the available funding.
15 projects were selected, leveraging $4.1 million in total investment.
Grants cover pasteurization, bottling, milking robots, health monitoring, and feed automation.
Supporting Iowa’s Dairy Farmers
The Iowa State Dairy Association praised the program’s impact, with President Robert Horst highlighting how it addresses labor shortages and expands dairy processing capacity.
Future of Choose Iowa
Administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Choose Iowa program also supports meat processing and value-added agriculture projects.
Photo Credit:gettyimages-jesp62
Categories: Iowa, Government & Policy, Livestock, Dairy Cattle, Sustainable Agriculture