Agriculture Secretary Naig visits Ringgold County
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By Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig paid a visit to the Holmstead Farmstead owned and operated by Kevin and Kendra Martin in Ringgold County last Friday.
The visit was part of an annual tour of counties performed by Secretary Naig, but also included a follow up on progress made by the Martins on their sustainable farming projects they have undertaken.
The Martins applied for, and received, a grant from the state of Iowa under the Choose Iowa Grant program that is intended to assist small farming operations in their pursuit of a sustainable and renewal farming practices. The grants are a shared finance program whereby the grant recipients partner in the cost of the grants allocated on a 50 percent matching funds basis. Up to $25,000 in grants per farm are available but have to be applied for as part of a competitive grant process. Secretary Naig wanted to emphasize that the window for grant applications on this go around closes on Friday, January 16.
The current program that the Martins were seeking funding on was the expansion of their operation to include a newly built commercial kitchen, thereby enabling them to more efficiently make and sell their many organic products.
The Martin’s farm store carries a variety of home produced products such as eggs, salad greens and locally produced honey. They also carry a wide variety of freeze dried products that are produced by the Martins with newly acquired freeze drying equipment that is now part of their commercial kitchen setup. In addition to consumables, the farmstead store also carries a large variety of health and beauty products such as tallow-based skin care and bath and body cleansers.
Secretary Naig spent most of his time during the visit touring the Martins’ facilities and examining their varied inventory. He also shared his views and the future of sustainable locally produced food items and praised the Martins fore their innovation, ambition and expertise.
The Martins have a fascinating back story that saw them in jobs that were as far removed from small town rural farming as one could get.
Both of the Martins previously made their living on the sea and not the land. Kevin and Kendra lived in the Pacific Northwest where they ran a successful sea based shipping and fuel service. Kendra also managed a maritime logistics operation to which she still operates out of their rural Ringgold County farmstead.
Kevin also spends some of his little available time running a Christian-based publishing company as well as his voice over talents that he continues to offer. In addition to the organic side, Kevin and Kendra raise and sell Kiko Goats which can be sold as a meat product or for the purpose of milk production.
The Martins are a prime example of what can be accomplished when you combine the skills and talents of an ambitious entrepreneur couple with a willing community partner and supportive state and its administration.
Secretary Naig encouraged to Martins to continue their agricultural based journey.
“Stay in touch,” he told the Martins. “Don’t be a stranger.”
Prior to his departure to resume his tour of the state’s counties, Secretary Naig talked a little about the agriculture department’s role in market pricing.
“We should look all across the ag landscape all throughout the supply chain and always be concerned or looking very critically to see if there is any anti competitive behavior going on,” he said “The Trump Administration announced they are looking specifically at meat processors. I’m absolutely supportive of those things.”
