Choose Iowa Surpasses 100 Member Milestone

Sep 27, 2024

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that Choose Iowa, the state’s official brand and marketing initiative for Iowa grown, Iowa raised, and Iowa made food and ag products, has surpassed 100 members statewide and is continuing to build momentum.

Overseen by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Choose Iowa connects consumers with the high-quality products grown, raised, and made by Iowa farmers and small businesses. Secretary Naig made the milestone announcement as part of Iowa Local Food Day, which is celebrated statewide on the fourth Wednesday of September each year.

“Farmers, processors, retailers and many others from across the state are becoming Choose Iowa members to showcase that their products are from Iowa. With consumers increasingly looking to shop local and support Iowa farmers and businesses, the Choose Iowa logo can give them confidence that they are purchasing Iowa products and keeping their dollars in their community,” said Secretary Naig. “Now with over 100 members statewide and more joining every week, we are excited to see how Iowa’s signature brand will continue to grow – creating value and visibility for members and local options for consumers. If you are selling Iowa grown, Iowa raised, or Iowa made food and ag products, we invite you to become a Choose Iowa member and connect with our Choose Iowa team to get started.”

Iowans can connect with Choose Iowa through Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and the Choose Iowa website, which includes several user-friendly features for both members and consumers.

Find Local Directory on ChooseIowa.com
The “Find Local” directory allows consumers to easily search for local products from Choose Iowa members. Consumers can search by location, name, type of product, online or in-person sales, site amenities, and whether they offer agritourism experiences or other events, among other search options. Each Choose Iowa member populates a profile which includes products or services offered, contact information, photos, and much more. Whether you are looking for locally sourced meat, in-season produce, farm-fresh eggs or dairy, Iowa-produced honey, Iowa wine, or any number of products, the “Find Local” directory is your go-to source. The directory will continue to grow as more members are added.

What’s In Season on ChooseIowa.com
The “What’s In Season” page on ChooseIowa.com showcases dozens of products grown, raised, or made in Iowa. Consumers can visit the page to look for what products are in-season and then click on the product name to find Choose Iowa members who offer it for sale.

Events Calendar on ChooseIowa.com
Whether it’s visiting an apple orchard or pumpkin patch in the fall with family, enjoying an open house during the holidays, or experiencing an authentic farm-to-table dinner during the summer, the regularly updated events calendar on ChooseIowa.com offers a wide variety of fun agritourism and educational experiences.

Choose Iowa Grants
Choose Iowa also offers grants to expand the availability of Iowa grown, Iowa raised, and Iowa made products. The grants page on ChooseIowa.com includes details on Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grants and Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants, among others. The Department will be making additional announcements about the availability of these grants in the coming weeks and months.

Additional ChooseIowa.com Features
ChooseIowa.com also includes additional resources for kids and teachers, a blog, recipes, and news about the program and its members.

Become a Choose Iowa Member
Choose Iowa membership offers a full suite of benefits. For just $100 annually, members can showcase their Iowa grown, Iowa raised, and Iowa made products with the official logo on their packaging and food labels for consumer trust and recognition. Through the customized profile in the Find Local directory, customers can easily locate and support their business. They can opt into cooperative advertising opportunities to amplify their reach, attract more customers, and leverage Choose Iowa digital platforms to increase their online presence and engage with a statewide audience. They receive valuable updates about grant opportunities, program enhancements, industry news, and more with the member newsletter. Learn more about Choose Iowa membership on ChooseIowa.com and get started by signing-up today.

Learn more about Choose Iowa by visiting ChooseIowa.com and visit the Choose Iowa contact page to contact our team and find answers to frequently asked questions.

Source : iowaagriculture.gov

Video: How to fix a leaking pond.

Does the pond leak? Ummmm....possibly a tiny bit. Well, more than a bit...ok, the darn thing leaks like a sieve!

QUESTIONS ANSWERED: Damit is not plastic. Therefore, there are no microplastics. I wish I had not mentioned plastic, but that is a very common polymer and I mentioned it as an example of a polymer. A polymer is simply a chain of repeating molecules, or "monomers." Cellulose is a polymer of glucose molecules. Starches are also polymers of various molecules such as fructose, maltose, etc. We have many polymers inside our bodies. In other words, just knowing something is a polymer doesn't make it bad, toxic, harmful, etc. However, this also doesn't mean all polymers are safe.

The specific polymer used for Damit is a trade secret, however, it has been closely scrutinized by multiple health and safety authorities. This includes the governmental authorities of Australia, the USA, Europe, and Asia. Not only have they determined that is safe to use in earthen ponds, and not harmful to fish, but it is considered safe to use in human potable water systems in all of these areas. And of course, they know the exact makeup of the polymer when making this determination. I'm told that the same polymer is in use by many municipalities to keep potable water storage tanks leak free. I can't tell you exactly what the polymer is, because I don't know, but given the confidence with which the governmental authorities have authorized its use, I would bet it is made of a monomer that we are exposed to all the time, like fructose or something.

It also breaks down in a matter of years, and does not accumulate in the environment. The end products of breaking down are CO2, water, and base minerals like potassium. The SDS reports no need for concern with ingestion, inhalation, or contact. If in eyes, rinse with water.

End result, can I say for sure that it is 100% safe? No, I don't know exactly what it is. But given people who do know exactly what it is, and have scrutinized it, have approved it for use in human potable water systems, I'm pretty comfortable putting it in an earthen pond.