The Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, Adam Gregg made a visit to C-S Agrow in Calumet on Wednesday afternoon, May 11. The brief, hour-long tour and conversation provided an opportunity for the state level official to learn about this Iowa-wide business, the owner’s business philosophy, northwest Iowa needs that will assist the business environment. Among the business concerns discussed during the conversation were housing, availability of [skilled] labor, supply chain disruptions and fuel costs.
Gregg, in response to the concerns took the opportunity to discuss efforts within the governor’s office to address the concerns within their authority. Gregg spoke about the “Empower Rural Iowa Initiative” of which he serves as co-chair. The Empower Rural Iowa Initiative arrives at its activities and financial incentives through 3 task forces: Investing in Rural Iowa which address rural housing shortages and develops strategies to support rural businesses and entrepreneurs; Growing Rural Iowa, a program to address leadership, recruitment and retention in rural communities and Connecting Rural Iowa, the task force established to address the issues and financing of broadband connectivity. Gregg indicates these programs are, in some part, designed to put money into the smaller communities throughout Iowa.