Grant funds totaling $100,000 are available for projects that advance and enhance swine production in Iowa. Tom Miller, Iowa attorney general, made that announcement last week. If you wish to apply for some of this money, project proposals are due by February 15, 2012.

The $100,000 in grant money is for the sixth year of a program funded by Smithfield Foods, which is paying $1 million over 10 years for the program. Miller released a "Request for Applications" (RFA) to identify and support innovative Iowa projects eligible for the grants.

The Request for Applications and required grant application forms, instructions, and requirements (click here for the Excel version) may be accessed at www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.gov (go to "Working for Farmers"). Those who are interested also may call the Iowa Attorney General's Farm Division at 515-281-8359, or send e-mail to [email protected].

To apply for funding, you must submit a project proposal by February 15

The Office of the Attorney General, in collaboration with Smithfield Foods, Inc., and two Democratic and two Republican state legislators, will evaluate proposals submitted and award a total of $100,000 for 2012 to projects that demonstrate financial need and will promote hog production in Iowa in an innovative manner. "This is an excellent opportunity for Iowans to help fund their innovative programs to advance swine production throughout our state," Miller says.

The grant program is part of a landmark settlement under which Smithfield made substantial financial commitments to Iowa's pork industry and agreed to provide a contractor growers' "bill of rights" to Smithfield contract producers. When the grant program began in 2006, Dennis Treacy, vice president, environmental and corporate affairs for Smithfield, said: "Smithfield Foods is delighted to partner with Attorney General Miller to make funds available to Iowa hog producers. We pledge to work with Iowans to ensure that the projects we fund sustain the environment and further the hog production industry in the state."

Grant recipients agree to make the results of the sponsored research available to the public. Following are details and background information on this program.

The RFA encourages projects in the following areas to submit applications:

Environment.  Projects are encouraged that will address the environmental impact of swine production, including impact on air quality and water quality.

Profitability.  Projects are encouraged that will address the profitability of swine production, including projects that will lower the costs of swine production, address swine disease problems, increase efficiency in swine production, create new pork products, or create new markets for pork.

Contract feeding.  Projects are encouraged that will address issues in contract feeding, including competition, fairness, and efficiency.

Independent producers.  Projects are encouraged that will address the ability of independent hog producers to compete, including projects relating to market access, price transparency, niche marketing of pork, producer networking, and financing.

Market information.  Projects are encouraged that will address the issue of price discovery and availability of market information in the hog industry.

Grants awarded previously went to these projects:

2007: The Drake University Agricultural Law Center was awarded $21,886.50 to identify research and analyze existing and future legal issues affecting the swine industry in Iowa, culminating in a series of papers and workshops for producers, their attorneys, and other members of the swine industry in Iowa.

Iowa State University was awarded $34,261 to develop an economic model that can be used by Iowa swine producers to evaluate the economic viability of utilizing dried distiller's grain and solubles and other ethanol industry by-products as feed ingredients in a wide range of feed input price and supply conditions.  ($31,610 for 2008 for second part of program.)

Practical Farmers of Iowa, Inc. in Ames was awarded $19,453 to develop and deliver educational programming to farmers who presently produce niche pork, farmers who produce conventional pork, and farmers who recently exited pork production, with a focus on niche pork production systems that have not been well researched in the past.  ($22,909.70 for companion project for 2008.)

The Chamber and Development Council of Crawford County was awarded $24,399.50 to conduct a feasibility study to ascertain the viability of a commercial biomass facility that utilizes hog waste and other waste streams to produce methane and high-quality fertilizer for Crawford County farmers.

2008: Golden Hills Resource Conservation & Development of Oakland, Iowa, was awarded $16,348.20 to demonstrate growth response to a new natural swine nutrition supplement made from an ethanol syrup co-product.

The Boone Community School District FFA was awarded $25,824.96 to construct a mobile swine laboratory that will allow the public to view and learn about commercial and sustainable swine farrowing operations.

2009: ISU Animal Welfare Division was awarded $28,700 to establish an Iowa Swine Welfare School to provide a hands-on education and training program for producers and others involved in the swine industry focused on low-stress handling and care of swine.

ISU College of Veterinary Medicine PRRS Virus Project was awarded $43,046 to determine if ultraviolet light, an inexpensive off-the-shelf technology, can be practical and cost-effective way to protect pigs from airborne PRRS virus.

Iowa Pork Producers Association was awarded $25,000 to perform energy audits at several Iowa swine production facilities to analyze energy use and develop specific recommendations for reducing energy costs.

2010: ISU Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering was awarded $50,000 to perform swine feeding trials with fungi grown thin stillage.

Juergens Environmental Control, LLC was awarded $50,000 for evaluation of deep-pit swine finishing house ammonia concentration emission as a function of manure surface treatment using a proprietary application product.

2011: Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine was awarded $50,538 to collaborate with pork producers to determine the probability of detecting a PRRSV-infected pig in a pen of PSSRSV-negative pigs using an oral fluid means of gathering sample material as opposed to a more costly method of collecting blood samples from individual pigs.

Iowa State University, Dr. Kenneth Stalder was awarded $49,462 for a project to develop a set of criteria in order to evaluate feet and leg soundness of sows, which is a key component in improving sow longevity, overall lifetime performance, and production efficiency.

Origin of the grant program—how did this come about?

On September 16, 2005, the Iowa Attorney General's Office and Smithfield Foods, Inc., Murphy Farms, LLC, and Prestage-Stoecker Farms, Inc. agreed to entry of a Consent Decree by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.  [Go to 9-16-05 news release about the agreement.]

The Consent Decree included the following provision:

Smithfield agrees to pay $100,000 per year for 10 years to fund a program for the awarding of annual grants to Iowa citizens or entities that demonstrate both a need for funding and an innovative program to advance swine production in the State. The grants will be awarded to applicants selected by the office of the Attorney General in collaboration with Smithfield and at least two Republican legislators and two Democratic legislators or their designees. . . ."

In addition to the $1,000,000 grant program, Smithfield agreed in the 2005 settlement to pay $1,000,000 to Iowa State University for a 10-year environmental training program, and $240,000 over a four-year period to fund Smithfield-Luter Scholarships at ISU.