Iowa Dairy Farms, Businesses Receive $614,000 from Choose Iowa Grants

The fire, the vote, the triumph — when it happens, Decorah News shows up. Support us being there. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Friday that 11 of the state's dairy farms and businesses have received funding from the Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant Program administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Naig made the announcement during a Dairy Month visit to Gav-n-view Farm near Lansing. The program provides up to $100,000 in cost-share funding to assist Iowa dairy farmers in reducing labor and increasing on-farm production, according to IDALS. National Dairy Month, celebrated annually in the U.S. every June since 1937, celebrates and honors the contributions of farmers in the dairy industry. "These grants help dairy farmers add value to what they already do so well by expanding processing capacity, developing new products and adopting technologies that improve efficiency," Naig said in a news release. "The result is more fresh, wholesome and nutritious Iowa-made dairy products on store shelves, stronger farm businesses and more dollars staying in local communities." In total, more than $614,000 was distributed to 11 recipients statewide, with Lango Dairy from Hopkinton receiving the maximum award of $100,000. Recipients of the Choose Iowa Dairy grants include: Country View Dairy: Hawkeye Sweet Doe Company: Keota Frisian Farms Cheese: Leighton Dutch Girl Dairy, Inc.: Marion Moore Local: Maquoketa Bonert and Kennedy Farm LLC: Epworth Vellema Dairy: Harris Lango Dairy: Hopkinton Gav-n-view Farm: Lansing Dutchland Dairy: Rolfe Rolinda Acres Dairy: Waterville Since the program's implementation in 2024, 46 Iowa farms and businesses have received funding from the Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant Program. Robert Horst, president of the Iowa State Dairy Association, said in an IDALS news release that the organization is proud of the investment and of the results the grant program has produced in Iowa communities. "This investment in Iowa's dairy industry has demonstrated a meaningful return by supporting dairy farm families, encouraging innovation and growth, and providing Iowans with greater access to dairy products made right here in our state," Horst said. "It's one of the few grant programs where Iowans can truly see, touch, and taste the results of the investment every day in their local communities." Stay connected and informed! Join the free newsletter for curated news, trending topics, and insider perspectives you won't find anywhere else.