WASHINGTON - Chuck Grassley today said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Rural Development has awarded 13 grants totaling $1,164,162 to Iowa through the Value-Added Producer Grant Program, which Grassley developed in 2000.
“I worked to create the Value Added Producers Grant Program to help Iowans get their value-added agriculture products to market. I'm proud this producer-oriented program has given Iowans a much-needed boost to help get innovative products off the ground,” Grassley said.
The Office of Rural Development will distribute the funds as shown below organized alphabetically by town.
• Timber Ridge Dairy in Cedar Rapids will receive $32,000 to expand the market for locally produced, farm-processed, all natural and organic dairy products in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas, and develop a dairy products brand that markets those products
• IowLa, LLC in Cherokee will receive $300,000 to increase the organic acreage and small farm profits from the Midwestern United States
• Plantpeddler, Inc. in Cresco will receive $139,650 to engage in marketing for its new Stone Creek Farms division, which produces and sells locally grown vegetables
• Sean & Becki Sullivan, dba Juan O’Sullivan’s Gourmet Salsa Co. in Cumming will receive $119,444 to add value to producer owned chili peppers
• Grass Run Farm, Inc. in Dorchester will receive $209,724 to add value to beef, pork and veal by changing its form through processing and marketing specific cuts of high-quality meats
• Green Visions, Inc. in Dyersville will receive $98,312 to launch a marketing and promotional campaign for certified organic pork products
• Levi Lyle in Indianola will receive $16,972 to process and market aronia juice
• Wilrona, LLC dba Fireside Winery in Marengo will receive $90,750 to increase the sales of their wine through joint marketing campaigns, wholesale markets, and broad state and out of state marketing
• Michele Brown Miller in Mt. Vernon will receive $10,500 to explore the business success of a storefront to sell premium chocolates that feature their agricultural products as primary ingredients
• Frisian Farms Cheese, LLC in Oskaloosa will receive $69,000 to help plan and devise strategies to create a new business venture which will add value to the raw milk they currently produce
• Iowa Grape Vines Winery, LLC in Preston will receive $6,000 to add diversity to the products they currently offer, expand the customer base, and produce and market high quality wines
• Riceville Meats, LLC will receive $21,850 to add value to locally produced livestock by processing the meat and increasing the margins of the producers involved with the venture, while providing a supply of top quality meats to the area
• Madison County Winery, LLC in Urbandale will receive $49,960 to expand the production and sale of wine
The Value-Added Agricultural Producer Grant program was designed by Grassley and included in the crop insurance bill that was signed into law in 2000 to encourage independent producers of agricultural commodities to process their raw products into marketable goods, thereby increasing farm income.
Each year, thousands of local Iowa organizations, colleges and universities, individuals and state agencies apply for competitive grants from the federal government. The funding is then awarded based on each local organization or individual’s ability to meet criteria set by the federal entity.