Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced the launch of the Choose Iowa Butchery Innovation Grant program. The grant helps small-scale meat processors expand their capacity within Iowa. It is part of Choose Iowa, the state’s branding and marketing program designed to identify and promote agriculture products grown, raised and made in Iowa and is administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The grant replaces a previous program, created in 2021, that was administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The Legislature authorized the new Choose Iowa grant program during the 2024 legislative session and allocated nearly $250,000 for the first year. Project applications can be reviewed for free by the Iowa State University Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS). Applicants who have their plans reviewed by CIRAS will receive bonus points in the scoring and selection process. Plans must be submitted to CIRAS for review by Feb. 21. Choose Iowa grant applicants should submit both their original project plan and the revised plan with their application by March 31. Grant recipients will be announced in May 2025. For more information about the Butchery Innovation Grant, visit the Choose Iowa website.