Twenty Iowa dairies across 12 counties were awarded Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grants this spring to increase on-farm dairy processing, incorporate labor-saving technology and expand the availability of Iowa dairy products.
“This grant was exceptionally competitive with requests far exceeding available funding, so we know these are great projects which will have a positive impact on these farms and the Iowa dairy industry as a whole,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a news release.
Lee Maassen, president of the Iowa State Dairy Association and a fifth-generation dairy farmer from Maurice, said the grant program will support Iowa’s dairy farms by addressing the need for innovation.
The cost-share grants help dairies invest in pasteurization equipment, processing space, packaging and bottling products, robots, health monitoring, automated feeding systems, cleaning assistance and more. The program funds are not eligible to cover start-up costs, advertising, public relations, salary/benefits/wages, existing debt or any expenses incurred prior to awarding the grant.
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