Local residents, business owners and community leaders will have the opportunity to share their thoughts about opportunities and challenges in rural Iowa when Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa, visits Postville on Thursday, September 12th, at 1:00 p.m. at the Upper Explorerland Conference Room at 134 W Greene Street. If you would like to speak with Bill Menner before the event please contact Darin Leach at (515) 284-4747.
USDA Rural Development’s funding continues to have a dramatic impact on rural communities across Iowa. Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has invested more than $2.5 billion on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities for Iowa families. Today, more than 1.7 million Iowans live in rural communities and areas, and nearly half of the state’s communities have fewer than 500 residents.
This past year USDA Rural Development’s investment in Iowa helped create or retain more than 1,600 jobs, aided 2,400 families in buying their own homes and assisted more than 60 communities as they made improvements to their facilities, services and infrastructure.
For more information about finance programs available through USDA Rural Development, please call the office located in Waverly at (319) 352-1715 Ext. 4. This office serves communities, businesses and residents in Allamakee, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek Counties. Further information on programs available through USDA Rural Development is available by visiting the agency’s web site at www.rurdev.usda.gov/ia.