Representatives from the Northwest Iowa Developers Coalition put this region on the map at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI. The event, held October 2-6, 2007, collected some 65,000 enthusiasts in the dairy industry.
The NIDC was represented by Glenn Anderson of Lyon County, Jim VanderVelde of Orange City, and Mark Buschkamp from Cherokee County. The group was joined by Kayla Lyon of the Iowa Dairy Association and LaShawn Howard from Northwest Iowa Community College. The group's goal is to expand Iowa’s strong dairy industry.
Iowa is currently ranked 12th in U.S. milk production behind states such as California (#1) and Wisconsin (#2), according to a 2002 study conducted by Iowa State University. The study illustrated the economic impact of Iowa’s dairy industry, which is one of the five largest commodity groups in the state. The Northwest Iowa Developers Coalition is banding together to create more opportunities in the region for dairy operations.
Iowa is already home to over 2000 dairy cow farms and 125 dairy goat farms which provide more than 26,000 jobs. Iowa’s Dairy Industry contributes an excess of $1.5 billion to the state’s economy. However, there is room for expansion. The Northwest Iowa Developers Coalition is working with area economic development agencies and communities to create incentives which will entice diary operations to the area.
