Grant impacts Worth County
DES MOINES, Iowa, May 23, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today announced that the Agency is awarding a $3,920,000 grant through the Fertilizer Production and Expansion Program (FPEP) to Return LLC, a fertilizer manufacturing facility located in Northwood, Iowa.
“This investment is good news for our nation’s supply chain—it’s going to help grow the economy of northern Iowa from the bottom up,” said Director Greenfield. “Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is championing sustainable agriculture, promoting competition, and supporting rural Iowa communities through job growth and lower costs for consumers.”
Return LLC received the funding to expand its current facility, to improve existing compost/fermenting site infrastructure and to purchase necessary equipment to transport materials and to manufacture the finished fertilizer product. These funds will help accelerate growth in domestic fertilizer production and provide support to U.S. farms and local communities.
This award is part of a larger national announcement for USDA.
USDA Fertilizer Production and Expansion Program
This program provides grants to independent business owners to help them modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants, and more.
President Biden and USDA created FPEP to combat issues facing American farmers due to rising fertilizer prices, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2022 due to a variety of factors such as war in Ukraine and a lack of competition in the fertilizer industry. The Administration committed up to $900 million through the Commodity Credit Corporation for FPEP. Funding supports long-term investments that will strengthen supply chains, create new economic opportunities for American businesses, and support climate-smart innovation. FPEP is part of a broader effort to help producers boost production and address global food insecurity. It is also one of many ways the Administration is promoting fair competition, innovation and resiliency across food and agriculture while combating the climate crisis.
Contact USDA Rural Development
USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas in Iowa, call (515) 284-4663 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal, and high-poverty areas.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.