Iowa Farm & Food Worker Relief Grant

Frontline, non-management individuals who have not already received the benefit, who were employed in one of the jobs listed below between January 27, 2020 and May 11, 2023, that incurred additional costs due to the pandemic, and who were employed planting, tending, harvesting crops, and post-harvest activities, including operation of farm machinery on crop farms.

Eligible Job (SOC) Classifications:

45-2041 - Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products: Grade, sort, or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition.

45-2091 - Agricultural Equipment Operators: Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. May perform tasks such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.

45-2092 - Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse: Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties, and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; or cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences, and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.

45-2099 - Agricultural Workers, All Other: All agricultural workers not listed separately (Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations)

53-7064 - Packers and Packagers, Hand: Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.

Frontline, non-management individuals who have not already received the benefit, who were employed in one of the jobs listed below between January 27, 2020 and May 11, 2023, that incurred additional costs due to the pandemic, and who were employed tending livestock, milking cows, or caring for poultry, including operation of farm machinery on livestock or poultry operations.

Eligible Job (SOC) Classifications:

45-2041 - Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products: Grade, sort, or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition.

45-2093 - Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals: Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, milking, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas. Includes workers who shear wool from sheep and collect eggs in hatcheries.

45-2099 - Agricultural Workers, All Other: All agricultural workers not listed separately (Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations)

53-7064 - Packers and Packagers, Hand: Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.

Frontline, non-management individuals who have not already received the benefit, who were employed in one of the jobs listed below between January 27, 2020 and May 11, 2023, that incurred additional costs due to the pandemic, and who were employed doing animal slaughtering and meat or poultry processing, including meat or poultry packaging.

Eligible Job (SOC) Classifications:

51-3022 - Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers: Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.

51-3023 - Slaughterers and MeatPackers: Perform nonroutine or precision functions involving the preparation of large portions of meat. Work may include specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting standard or premium cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats. Work typically occurs in slaughtering, meatpacking, or wholesale establishments.

51-3099 - Food Processing Workers, All Other: All food processing workers not listed separately.

A legal photo ID is required.  This can be a valid Iowa Driver's License, Consular or Government Issued Identification, Foreign or Domestic H2A Visa/H2B Visa, or Passport.

Proof of employment is required.  Accepted forms of proof of employment include W-2 Tax Form, Paystub, Employer Letter/Contract signed by the employer,

H2A Visa/ H2B Visa,

or Photographic Evidence of employee working at the worksite) with a written attestation letter signed by the employer.

Attestation (a personal confirmation) that the applicant incurred reasonable and

necessary personal, family,or living expenses because of COVID-19.  This includes the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves, expenses associated with quarantines

and COVID-19 testing, and/or dependent care.

Before scheduling your appointment, gather all documents listed above.  Unfortunately, if you go to an appointment and you do not have your documents you will not be able to apply.

To schedule your appointment call

(833)LAT-INO1 and select Extension 4 for the Farm and Food Worker Relief Progam.

At your appointment, a trained representative with assist you in completing the application and uploading the images of all your documents.  When completed, they will provide you a gift card with a $0 balance.

 If your application is approved you will receive a text message notifying you that it has been approved and your gift card will automatically be loaded with your $600 benefit.

If not approved, you will receive an email either requesting more information or denying your eligibility as per USDA requirements.