Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig recognized 16 Iowa students whose artwork was selected for inclusion in the 2025-2026 Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar during a ceremony at the 2025 Iowa State Fair. 

Choose Iowa will present free cooking demonstrations and food presentations daily at 1 p.m. in The Kitchen inside the Maytag Family Theatre Building throughout the 2025 Iowa State Fair. The Kitchen is located on the Grand Concourse between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) building and the Barksdale’s State Fair Cookies building. 

Over the 11 days, the line-up will feature nearly 30 Choose Iowa members as well as award-winning chefs and culinary professionals from across Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (July 31, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig welcomes Iowa State Fairgoers to indulge in fun ‘Fair Sweet Fair’ experiences with Choose Iowa during the annual 11-day event slated for Aug. 7 through Aug. 17 in Des Moines. 

DES MOINES, Iowa (May 15, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today launched the Choose Iowa Passport, a free, interactive digital platform designed to help Iowans and visitors find farms and farm stands, orchards, you-pick opportunities, farm-to-table dining and restaurants, farmers markets, and even boutique shops featuring locally-sourced Iowa products including Iowa raised meats.

ALGONA, Iowa (April 22, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded 33 Choose Iowa value-added grants to Iowa farmers and small businesses located in 28 counties. Grant recipients were eligible to receive up to $25,000 in cost-share per project to increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings, expand markets and shorten supply chains.

BOONE, Iowa (April 21, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Choose Iowa program is expanding to promote a vibrant array of Iowa grown horticultural products, such as Christmas trees, cut flowers, bedding plants, and ornamental trees and shrubs. Secretary Naig made the expansion announcement in conjunction with Iowa Horticulture Week (April 20-26) during a visit to Red Granite Farm near Boone.

DES MOINES, Iowa (April 8, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is inviting school-aged Iowa students to participate in the 2025 Choose Iowa Calendar Contest. Choose Iowa is the state’s signature brand for Iowa grown, raised and made food, beverages and ag products and it is a marketing initiative of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Don McDowell
515-326-1616
don.mcdowell@iowaagriculture.gov

DES MOINES, Iowa (Feb. 3, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced the launch of the Choose Iowa Butchery Innovation Grant program. Small-scale meat processors and custom lockers are encouraged to submit proposals to expand meat processing capacity within Iowa. This grant is part of Choose Iowa, the state’s branding and marketing program designed to identify and promote Iowa grown, raised and made ag products. The grant is administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.