NEW USDA INITIATIVE OFFERS $1.4 MILLION TO IOWA ORGANIC PRODUCERS
Iowa farmers transitioning to organic production or already certified as an organic producer may qualify for a new initiative providing more than $1.4 million in financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which is administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Read the entire press release and the informational brochure 
.
Organic Production Resources
Local Food Producer grants of up to $250 available to farmers interested in organic production.
The Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Regional Food Initiative, I-Food group has identified the need to support access to organic food, access to resources and training for organic farm production, and support for organic farmers in the region as a result of developing a sustainable plan to promote the integration, utilization and access of locally produced food across the Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Linn, Poweshiek, Tama, and Meskwaki Settlement regions.
The Organic Producer Training Grants are made possible through support from Frontier Natural Products Co-op. These grants are intended to provide support for ongoing training to producers interested in transitioning to or presently utilizing organic practice to produce organically grown food products. The goal of this grant program is to provide training stipends to producers that will further their ability to produce organic food products in Iowa and Cedar Valley regions.
Grant Application
Rural Business Enterprise Loan applications now available
The Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development is pleased to announce its Rural Business Enterprise Loan program to offer emergency and disaster related assistance to businesses in the presidential, state or locally declared disaster areas of Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Linn, Poweshiek and Tama counties in Iowa. The Revolving Loan Funds was established through a grant from USDA Rural Development with matching funds from Iowa Valley RC&D, Inc.
The Rural Business Enterprise Revolving Loan (RBERL) is designed to assist the six eastern Iowa counties included in the Iowa Valley RC&D, Inc. overcome gaps in local capital markets that inhibit emerging small businesses from obtaining suitable credit and impede economic growth and stability. The initial use of the RBERL will be for Disaster Recovery Assistance and will target businesses in communities of less than 15,000 population and the non-incorporated rural areas in Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Linn, Poweshiek and Tama counties in Iowa. Iowa Valley RC&D will consider RBERL loan applications in 2009 that result in the restoration, clean up, and retention of small businesses in the above six counties based on the following priorities-
1. Value-added or alternative and/or local food agriculture enterprises
2. natural resource based enterprises,
3. enterprises providing needed facilities and services to low income, under employed, or the elderly,
4. small main street businesses.
Read the entire press release
Get an application
IVRCD looking for volunteers to help with Poweshiek and Tama Counties roadside remnant inventory
Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development and the Poweshiek/Tama County Conservation Boards are working together this spring to enlist volunteers in cataloging prairie sites in roadside ditches around the county. The objective is to develop a comprehensive database on the composition of such roadside sites in the county so that they can be properly managed.
Orientation to the surveying process will occur in early April, with dates to be announced soon. The actual surveying will take place throughout spring.
Volunteers will be grouped in pairs - a driver and a notetaker.
150 years ago Iowa was 80% prairie. Today, less that one-tenth of one percent remains.
Those interested should contact Sandy Moffett or the Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development (319)213-9243
