(Spirit Lake)– A recent study points out just how important of a role agriculture plays in the local economy.
The study was funded by a coalition of farm groups known as the “Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers”. It was conducted by Iowa State University.
Findings of the study show nearly eight percent of the jobs in Dickinson county are a direct result of food production. Statewide, one out of every 10 jobs, or nearly 190,000 Iowans are employed because of food production and the process of turning raw commodities into products such as ethanol, milk and so on.
Aaron Putze, a spokesman for the Coalition, says the study’s key finding is not that Iowa is dependant upon agriculture, but rather that it is agriculturally capable and that its citizens are able to reap the advantages of that capability.
Data for the study came from the Census of Agriculture, U.S. Bureaus of Economic Analysis and Labor Statistics, Iowa Department of Workforce Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the IMPLAN economic modeling system.
