Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig invites small-scale meat processors and custom lockers to apply for a Choose Iowa Butchery Innovation Equipment Only Grant. 

Eligible businesses may receive up to $20,000 of state funding to purchase cold storage, meat processing and/or packaging equipment that helps increase meat and poultry processing capacity in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has allocated $105,000 to support the Choose Iowa Butchery Innovation Grant program in FY2027. 

Applicants must provide at least a one-to-one financial match. Grant funds are paid out as a reimbursement after the project is completed. 

Full details including financial matching requirements, application, eligibility and scoring criteria are available on the Choose Iowa website. 

Grant applications should be submitted by noon on Nov. 20. Grant recipients will be announced in December.