Mahaska County, Iowa

Mahaska County Ag & Rural Development

July 2002 to June 2003 Program Highlights

Value-Added Agriculture

• Vande Rose Foods: Administered $248,000 USDA federal grant awarded to Vande Rose Foods (written by MCARD last year) including writing a new business plan to create a regional pork retail/catering enterprise
• Vineyards in Mahaska County: Assisted Moon Valley Vineyard, including writing a grant which provided Moon Valley Vineyards in University Park with $20,000 to begin carbonating grape juice
• World Food Park: Authored a successful federal grant for World Food Processing that resulted in a $350,000 award for their expansion into new overseas markets, re-submitted application for IDOT loan for rail project, wrote a federal grant for Mid-Iowa Cooperative to expand markets for WFP soybeans.
• Ag Start-Ups: MCARD was the first point of contact for several local producers seeking to establish value-added ag businesses. Products involved included fiber, specialty cattle, fertilizers, grapes and general produce.
• Partners of the Midwest, LLC: Have just started working with regional emu coop to bring a emu oil processing facility to Mahaska County from Oklahoma, the only one in a wide region
• Partnering with Extension: worked with Extension staff to study/plan possible ag projects such as horticulture therapy/ag retail program and "Annie's Project" a women-in-ag education program

Rural and Economic Development

• Eddyville: assisted museum group in Eddyville, also began assisting Eddyville Piping with their possible expansion, paid visits to plant managers for Cargill, Ajinomoto, Ajinomoto Heartland and Wacker for Synchronist Survey, working with Eddyville Childcare to review business structure and funding
• Fremont. Worked with Fremont Development Corp. on housing, administrated IDED grant I wrote to fund Housing Initiative, met with community re: new child care center: successfully nominated E. Elder for Chamber's Citizen of the Year
• New Sharon: began helping Pro-Line with their expansion, wrote a successful $125,000 low interest loan app on their behalf, successfully assisted local couple obtain the financing to start a grocery store there, marketed available industry building, saved Pella Products and the County from having to repay $125,000 CEBA grant awarded to Pella Products in 1994, helped local dev. group with strategic planning, personally called on industries in New Sharon including Pella Products, Snyder Manufacturing, Spring Valley Manufacturing, Proline Construction, DeJong Manufacturing, Precision Foods, Co-Line Welding as well as North Mahaska School District..
• Oskaloosa: Fielded 20+ calls from businesses seeking to expand or start up in the Oskaloosa area – included insurance company, ag implement dealer, furniture company, discount grocery, and others. Provided information on sites and incentives as needed, continue to help several with their business plans and loan apps, sponsored/helped assemble local insurance company's successful application for REDI loan for expansion.
• Rose Hill: worked with city council to determine/prioritize needs in their community, helped with housing program, starting to help local light manufacturer and retailer in town seeking funding for site
• University Park: worked with Moon Valley Vineyards (see above)
• Barnes City – sponsored Front Street Manufacturing reapplication for a $25,000 loan for an expansion, helping with sewer grant application as needed
• Co Line Welding: MCARD worked diligently to persuade company to expand in Mahaska County rather than neighboring county. Assisted with a successful application for a $450,000 zero-percent loan available through Pella Electric Cooperative and the USDA if they chose Mahaska County.
• Team Mahaska: completed grant administration of Community Development Fund Grant for Team Mahaska which netted $25,000 to launch a county-wide strategic planning process. Provided staff support to the group and legal services subcommittee
• Mahaska County Revolving Loan: Administered $350,000 loan fund, includes federal audits, monthly updates to Chamber/Supervisors and application assistance. Each loan is current and three loans were paid off in 2002.
• Transportation: Organized and hosted (through Indian Hills Regional Development) a Southern Iowa Intermodal Rail Summit to launch effort to bring better rail service to region, continue to serve on as secretary of Intermodal "steering committee"

Outreach/Education

• Regional : Began term as President of Indian Hills Regional Development, serve as a Mahaska County representative to River Hills Initiative, a ten county consortium of economic developers
• Skill Transfer: Guest lecturer at William Penn University for past two semesters for communications class on grant writing, conducted grant writing seminar to extension office with MCRF
• Agricultural Policy: hosted area visits by Patty Judge and John Askew, 2002 candidates for Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture.
• Ag Education/Promotion: Organized events (attended by approximately over 3,000 people) to heighten awareness about Mahaska County's agricultural and rural communities, such as booth at the Southern Iowa Fair, 4-H/FFA BBQ and Town and Country Banquet, provided articles and info to area media re: local growers, served on school ag committee, assisted Farm Bureau with their Value-added ag tour

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