A local farm family is one of 26 recipients of a grant meant to expand or diversify the availability of products grown, raised, and made in Iowa.
Sennert Farms in Linn Grove is getting a 25-thousand dollar Choose Iowa Value-Added Grant, which will be used to construct a cover crop seed cleaning and fulfillment facility to expand into wholesale cleaned-seed production.
The awards from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship were announced Wednesday by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. The cost-share grants, which match up to 25-thousand dollars per project, were created to assist Iowa farmers, businesses, and non-profits increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings, expand markets, and shorten supply chains.
Individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations currently living or operating in Iowa were eligible to apply. Preference was given to small and medium-sized entities. Since the Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants were launched in 2022, a total of 1.1-million dollars has been awarded to 67 projects.
