LOCAL FOODS

The Iowa Lakes RC&D received a grant from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship for specialty crop market development.  This grant will address specialty crop market development in parts of six counties in Northwest Iowa. Additionally, it provides for a project manager to work with a newly forming cooperative of local fruit and vegetable growers, and with governmental, institutional, school, nonprofit and business partners. For more information visit: www.littlesiouxgrowers.com

This project is creating a template for Iowa’s RC&Ds to use for helping implement Iowa’s Wildlife Action Plan.  The goal for this project is to create new opportunities for economic growth by marketing existing local county and state natural resource public areas.  Our project seeks to educate and engage Iowa’s tourism infrastructure to support wildlife associated education, recreation and quality of life. 
 

MID WINTER THAW PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

The Iowa Lakes RC&D teamed up with the County Conservation Board Naturalists in Palo Alto, Clay and O’Brien Counties to sponsor a Nature Photograph Workshop at the Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg.  The workshop was held on February 19, 2011.  The Palo Alto County Gaming Development Corporation was a partner as they awarded the
RC&D a grant to help defray some of the costs.
 

The Green Bus Tour is an annual event sponsored by the Iowa Lakes RC&D and the County Conservation Boards of Clay, Palo Alto and O'Brien. The Tour takes interested community members to see environmentally friendly projects and businesses.

RENEW STORE

The Renew Store is a project of the Lakes Community Land Trust with the Iowa Lakes RC&D as a partner.  Recently, the store received a DNR SWAP grant of $20,000 to expand the square footage from 3,000 square feet to 6,000.  In less than one year, the Renew Store service has diverted over 184 tons of household/construction materials from the landfill.  For more information on the Renew Store and the Lakes Community Land Trust visit:
www.lakesclt.org
 

PRIVATE LAND STEWARDSHIP GRANT

Funding from this grant is being used by private landowners along the Little Sioux River Valley to remove invasive species and restore prairie through
the use of management practices such as fire and brush/Cedar tree removal. The Iowa Lakes RC&D is administering a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  
 

USDA–REAP  GRANTS
          
Iowa Lakes RC&D has written several renewable energy and energy efficiency grants for local small businesses and elevators.  The grants have included energy efficiency updates, geothermal, and grain dryer systems.  Grants are available for 25% of the project cost and up to 50% guaranteed loan.  A few projects include: The Motor Works, Cooperative Elevator Association, and Emagine Internet Marketing.

 

Webb Wireless is a locally owned internet business in
the community of Web, population 100 people. The RC&D assisted with a low interest loan to allow the business to expand to other nearby communities. 

The Dew Drop Drill is a small scale native seed planter that is sold by the Little Sioux Prairie Company in Spencer, Iowa. The Iowa Lakes RC&D assisted in the product design and start-up of this business. Grant funding was provided by IA DNR/RDTF for startup assistance.

Assistance was provided to move and develop this log cabin built in the early 1950s to its new location at the Clay County Fair Grounds. Its primary use is during the Clay County Fair when over 300,000 people attend the 9 day event.

Through a grant funded by USDA/NRCS a cost-share program for producers was established to assist with installation of solar powered watering systems to better utilize pasture lands. Click here to learn more.

The Prairie Flower Company was an Iowa Lakes RC&D business incubator project. It currently is a successful business located in Fostoria, Iowa. Grant funding was provided by IA DNR/RDTF for startup assistance. Click here to visit The Prairie Flower's Web site.

RC&D developed this project to provide individuals and businesses with an alternative to landfilling used computer equipment. The RC&D also donates refurbished computers to nonprofit organizations. Click here to learn more. Click here to learn about this service.

The RC&D assisted with planning, funding and implementation of a five acre education area that included a prairie, windbreak, timber establishment and butterfly garden.

RAIN GARDEN DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

Rain Gardens design and implementation was completed in Storm Lake. The Rain Garden project is part of a Low Impact Development program to reduce and filter urban runoff.  

The RC&D acquired grant funds through the Iowa Department of Economic Development to install ten dry fire hydrants in a five country area.