Opportunities for economic development exist throughout Iowa, including the state’s dairy industry. That is why Iowa State University Extension, the Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation and others are working to expand the industry through the Iowa New Farm Family Project.

Three pilot communities are inviting farm families from The Netherlands to begin dairying in Iowa. Dutch farm families are emigrating for better dairy opportunities in the United States. Local citizen groups asked ISU Extension to help with education and facilitation to encourage Dutch farm families to resettle in Iowa, explained Paul Brown, assistant director for ISU Extension to Agriculture and Natural Resources.

After more than three years of research, tours and other immigration efforts, the work is paying off. The first family is scheduled to arrive in Butler County this summer. They’ll operate a 300-cow dairy farm.

Nick Rolling, Dairy Foundation president, said the new producers would help ensure a profitable future for all of Iowa’s dairy farmers.

“We need to have enough dairy producers to keep milk processors and handlers here,” Rolling said. “We ship in a lot of milk for processing; Iowa processes more dairy than our farmers produce.”

Mitchell County and the city of Brooklyn also are participating in the pilot program, which Brown said could draw as many as 40 Dutch families to Iowa in the next five years.

The New Farm Family Project covers everything from studying the economic aspects, to teaching the Dutch farmers about American agricultural practices and regulations, to helping the families blend into their new communities.

Iowa’s low population density, existing infrastructure and abundant land make the state an attractive destination for anyone who wants to work in the dairy industry, Brown said. Its welcoming nature is an asset, too.

-30-