Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation

The Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation is a non-profit, grassroots organization formed to provide progressive outreach for youth, students, farmers, industry, and consumers to strengthen and support a strong agriculture community.The organization was developed with the purpose to retain young people in rural areas while bolstering the economic impact of dairy farms in northeast Iowa. The Dairy & Agriculture Foundation is led by a 15-member, farmer-based board of directors.Statement continued on Schedule O.The Dairy & Agriculture Foundation operates Iowa's Dairy Center, a 220-cow dairy farm focused on providing demonstration on modern farming practices. Iowa's Dairy Center was recognized as Iowa's first "Center of Excellence for Value-Added Agriculture" by Governor Tom Vilsack. Additionally, the Dairy & Agriculture Foundation raises 80 market steers, 10 cow-calf pairs and farms 250 acres implementing conservation practices throughout the farm.Education is the driver in all the Dairy & Agriculture Foundation's efforts and is achieved in partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC). This allows students enrolled in agriculture programs at NICC to experience hands-on learning in the barn and in the fields. Several farmer workshops, trainings and events are hosted each year.As a community outreach effort in partnership with Midwest Dairy, the Dairy & Agriculture Foundation welcomes over 10,000 annual visitors to Iowa's Dairy Center. Visitors from all 50 states and over 30 countries have experienced Iowa agriculture through tours and events including the highly anticipated Breakfast on the Farm.