Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development

What Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development does

Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development (Iowa Valley RC&D) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Amana, Iowa, that operates a portfolio of interconnected programs supporting Iowa's local food system. Its work is organized around two primary initiatives: the Farmer Development Initiative, which delivers education, technical support, paid apprenticeships, fellowships, land and equipment access, and workshops to approximately 75 farmers per year, and the Value Chain Development Initiative, which connects local food producers with consumers through advocacy, market matchmaking, and technical assistance. Supporting programs include Grow: Johnson County (a demonstration site at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm), Clean Start (a free five-month food safety coaching program with $2,000 stipends), the No-Till Vegetable Production Trial (regenerative agriculture research under USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant funding), Iowa LFPA and Iowa LFS (local food procurement for schools and childcare facilities), Iowa RFSI, Fresh Connect (a pilot CSA incentive connecting employers with local farms), and Choose Local.

The organization's core technology is agricultural research methodology rather than software. Its most distinctive technical asset is the three-year No-Till Vegetable Production Trial, which generates published factsheets on yield, labor, pest management, and soil health outcomes at the Grow: Johnson County demonstration site, alongside a 2026 No-Till Cost Share Program offering $1,200 per farmer to 10 selected producers. The business model is entirely grant-dependent: revenue flows from government agencies (notably USDA and the Iowa Department of Agriculture), charitable donations, and nominal program fees, with most direct services delivered free to farmers and institutional buyers. The 9-person leadership team is led by Executive Director Jason Grimm and includes functional managers for grants and finance, value chains, business education, communications, farm operations, and programs.

Iowa Valley RC&D's revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the organization experienced a significant funding shock in 2025 when $11.3 million in USDA funding for LFPA and Local Food for Schools was cancelled, affecting more than 300 farmers that had planned around the money. Disclosed funding events include an $8,000 contribution from Big Grove Brewery in April 2025 and a $689,454 USDA grant in October 2021. The organization is governed independently as a 501(c)(3) entity (EIN 42-1481272), with strategic partnerships spanning Practical Farmers of Iowa, Global Greens, Iowa State Extension, USDA NRCS, and the Iowa Food System Coalition. It operates exclusively within Iowa.

Name

Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development

Legal name

Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development

Website

https://iowavalleyrcd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iowa Valley RC&D is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that supports Iowa's local food system through farmer education, technical assistance, and value chain development programs serving approximately 75 farmers and institutional buyers annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Nonprofit Development Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Regenerative agriculture programs
• Farmer education services
• Local food system development
• Food safety coaching
• No-till farming research

Headquarters

HQ city

Amana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant and Government Funding: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Iowa Valley RC&D operates primarily through grant funding from government agencies (including USDA programs), charitable donations, and nominal program fees. The organization was impacted by the cancellation of $11.3 million in USDA funding for LFPA and Local Food for Schools programs in 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development is an Iowa-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains and supports farmers, builds local food infrastructure, and connects local food producers to institutional buyers. It delivers the Farmer Development Initiative (serving 75 farmers per year through on-farm demonstration, paid apprenticeships, fellowships, land and equipment access, and workshops) and the Value Chain Development Initiative (advocacy, market matchmaking, and technical assistance linking Iowa farmers to schools, childcare facilities, and food banks). Supporting programs include Clean Start food safety coaching, the No-Till Vegetable Production Trial with associated cost-share, and the Grow: Johnson County demonstration farm.

Product overview

Iowa Valley RC&D is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 that operates as a collection of interconnected programs rather than a unified software product. The organization provides a portfolio of agricultural development programs centered around two main initiatives: the Farmer Development Initiative (supporting farmers through education, apprenticeships, and technical assistance) and the Value Chain Development Initiative (connecting food producers with consumers). Supporting programs include Clean Start (food safety coaching), the No Till Vegetable Production Trial (regenerative agriculture research), Grow: Johnson County (demonstration farm), Iowa LFPA/LFS (local food for schools), Iowa RFSI (food systems), Fresh Connect (CSA incentive), and Choose Local (consumer education). These programs work together to build a resilient local food system in Iowa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Farmer Development Initiative: Provides education and technical support to beginning and experienced farmers in Iowa with the goal of increasing farm business viability and resilience. Supports 75 farmers per year through on-farm demonstration, paid apprenticeships, fellowship programs, land and equipment access, and workshops.
• Value Chain Development Initiative
• Grow: Johnson County
• Iowa LFPA
• Iowa LFS
• Iowa RFSI
• Clean Start
• No Till Vegetable Production Trial
• Choose Local
• Fresh Connect

Products and services

• Farmer Development Initiative Program providing education and technical support to beginning and experienced farmers in Iowa with the goal of increasing farm business viability and resilience; supports 75 farmers per year through on-farm demonstration, paid apprenticeships, fellowship programs, land and equipment access, and workshops.
• Value Chain Development Initiative Program that works to connect the dots between producers and consumers of local food in Iowa from farm gate to consumer's plate; leads advocacy, facilitates partnerships, and designs sustainable systems through market matchmaking and technical assistance.
• Clean Start Food Safety Program Free five-month coaching program that helps beginning farmers understand and implement food safety best practices on their own farm, with monthly program coaches culminating in a personalized Food Safety Plan and a $2000 stipend for food safety equipment.
• No-Till Vegetable Production Trial Research and development initiative advancing regenerative practices in vegetable and specialty crop production, including no-till research and demonstration fields at the Grow: Johnson County farm and an associated cost-share program offering $1200 per farmer for no-till practices.
• Grow: Johnson County Demonstration Site Demonstration site located at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm that serves as a hands-on learning space for trainings, field days, and public education on no-till and regenerative farming practices.
• Iowa LFPA (Local Food Purchase Agreement) Program connecting Iowa farmers with schools, childcare facilities, and food banks to provide locally grown food to institutions while ensuring farmers receive fair prices.
• Iowa LFS (Local Food Schools) Program working with partners to bring locally grown food into school systems across Iowa, improving food access for students while supporting local farmers.
• Iowa RFSI (Regional Food Systems Initiative) Initiative focused on building resilient food systems in Iowa through partnerships, infrastructure development, and connecting food producers with consumers.
• Fresh Connect Pilot CSA incentive program designed to connect area employers with local farms, improving CSA access for employees while increasing market feasibility for local farmers.
• Choose Local Program encouraging consumers to choose locally raised meat and locally grown food that benefits people, the planet, and communities.
• Farmers Toolshed Program listed under Iowa Valley RC&D's Our Programs offering farmer-facing tools and resources, linked from the organization website.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75 farmers supported per year through Farmer Development Initiative
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Practical Farmers of IowacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working with small-scale and innovative farmers to provide access to services. Partnered with Iowa Valley RC&D, Global Greens, and Iowa State Extension under USDA-FSA leadership to build capacity and connect producers to markets.
• Global GreenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working with refugee and immigrant farmers, collaborating on producer access to services and local food system development.
• Iowa State ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership providing extension services and support for small-scale and innovative farmers in Iowa.
• Field to FamilyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food system organization. Representative Emily Roberts quoted about Iowa Local Food for Schools program impact.
• Global Food ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood security organization. Representative Will Kapp quoted about LFPA program value for farmers and communities.
• USDA NRCScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded No-Till Vegetable Trial through Conservation Innovation Grant #NR226114XXXXG002. Partner in advancing regenerative farming practices.
• Life 5BminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal food distribution business. Representative Shad Swanson noted using LFPA as selling point to sign up new producers and provide fair market access.
• Iowa Food System CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition encouraging Iowans to choose food better for people, planet, and communities. Iowa Valley RC&D joined to support local food advocacy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Practical Farmers of Iowa: Iowa-based nonprofit that provides farmer-led education, field days, and on-farm research (including cover crops and small-grain trials). The closest peer to Iowa Valley RC&D given overlapping Iowa geography, farmer development mission, and no-till/regenerative research focus; the two organizations are explicit co-partners in the Iowa small-farm ecosystem.
• Field to Family: Iowa City-area nonprofit connecting schools and institutions to locally grown food. Comparable on the Value Chain Development side—local food procurement, food-system matchmaking, and Iowa LFS program involvement—though narrower in scope than Iowa Valley RC&D.
• Global Food Project: Iowa-based food security nonprofit aggregating locally grown produce for food-insecure communities, an LFPA partner of Iowa Valley RC&D. Comparable on the value-chain and food-access use cases, sharing farmer-recruitment and local procurement workflows.
• Iowa Food System Coalition: Iowa-wide coalition advocating for food system policy and consumer education—including the Choose Local concept Iowa Valley RC&D also runs. Member-based, broader coalition, but operates in the same advocacy and consumer-education space as the Choose Local and value-chain programs.

Broad incumbents

• Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Iowa's land-grant extension service delivering farmer education, agronomic research, and food systems programming statewide. Larger, publicly funded incumbent that overlaps with Iowa Valley RC&D on farmer training and partnership with NRCS, but operates a much broader agricultural portfolio beyond just sustainable food systems.
• National Association of RC&D Councils: The national network that historically coordinated Resource Conservation & Development councils like Iowa Valley RC&D. Provides structural peer reference for funding advocacy, federal relationship management, and cross-state conservation programming relevant to the Iowa org's mission and identity.
• Wallace Center (Winrock International): National nonprofit focused on regenerative and equitable food systems through training, technical assistance, and market development. Comparable programmatic model (farmer training + value-chain work) at a much larger, multi-state scale, positioning it as a regional/national incumbent peer.

Emerging players

• Global Greens Iowa: Des Moines-based nonprofit supporting refugee and immigrant farmers through incubator plots, training, and market access. Directly named partner of Iowa Valley RC&D; overlapping on beginning-farmer development and immigrant-producer support, but specialized in refugee agriculture rather than full local-food value chains.
• FoodCorps: National nonprofit connecting kids to healthy food through schools and food education, with strong school-procurement overlap to Iowa Valley RC&D's LFS/LFPA work. Comparable on the local-food-into-schools use case but not on farmer development or no-till research.

Others

• Life 5B: Iowa-based local food aggregator/distributor cited in Iowa Valley RC&D's customer materials as an LFPA partner signing up new producers. Adjacent infrastructure provider: not a direct competitor but a dependent downstream participant in the Iowa local-food value chain that IV RC&D helps marshal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/iowavalleyrcd
• Facebookfacebook.com/iowavalleyrcd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iowa-valley-rc-d

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development