Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig Visits Mitchell County

(ABC 6 News) – As part of his 99-county tour of the Hawkeye state, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig spent time in Mitchell County.

“Consumers are getting more choices, Our farmers are open to even more markets,” Secretary Naig said.

COVID-19 has impacted every sector of every business. It backed up the food supply chain and farmers were left wondering, what’s next?

“I see a convergence of that supply chain that was bad, but it’s an opportunity to shop local. When you knit all of this together, what we see is more opportunities,” Secretary Naig said.

Secretary Naig thinks he might have the solution to help everyone.

The Choose Iowa Marketing and Promotion Grants is something Secretary Naig advocates for.

It bridges the gap from the farm to the table.

Jessica Baldus is the Head Chef at Taste and The Bakery in Osage.

She loves what she does, and like Secretary Naig, is advocating for farmers.

She sources Mushrooms, Lettuce, and beef just to name a few.

She sources 60 percent of items from area farmers.

10 years ago, that number was 10 percent.

“What we have in our bodies does matter. By me utilizing those products and having those relationships with those farmers I can be an encourager on where to go and how to get those items,” Baldus said.