Rolinda Acres honored with Iowa Venture Award by Iowa Area Development Group
Rolinda Acres is a 2021 Iowa Venture Award winner ... Rolinda Acres, a family farming operation owned by Pat and Tara Reisinger of rural Waterville, was one of eight winners of the Iowa Venture Award presented by the Iowa Area Development Group this year, after being nominated by Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative. Pictured above in the new robotic milking facility at Rolinda Acres are, left to right, Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative General Manager Hollee McCormick, Dairyland Power Cooperative President & CEO Brent Ridge, Pat Reisinger of Rolinda Acres, and Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative Board of Directors President Jeff Bradley. Submitted photo.
The Iowa Area Development Group (IADG), on behalf of Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities and independent telecommunications companies, honored eight distinguished Iowa companies and leaders with the Iowa Venture Award at a luncheon held in conjunction with the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting. Among this year’s award recipients is Rolinda Acres of rural Waterville, a family farming operation nominated by Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative.
Rolinda Acres, owned by Tara and Pat Reisinger, is located near the northeast Iowa town of Waterville. The Reisingers have five hog buildings, farm 1,500 acres, milk 785 cows and operate a dog breeding business. In 2001, the Reisingers milked 150 cows. They plan to double the current number of 785 cows in 2023.
To grow their herd and shorten their workdays, they constructed a 96,000-square-foot barn housing eight robotic milkers in 2020. Approximately 550 cows are milked robotically, while 260 are still milked in the existing parlor. Rolinda Acres plans to add another building and eight additional robotic milkers by 2023.
“The Iowa Venture Award Luncheon provides a forum to celebrate the courage, contribution, innovation, responsibility and vision of Iowa entrepreneurs,” said IADG President Rand Fisher. “The Reisinger family boldly embarked on a significant expansion of a robotic milking barn in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many were hesitant to grow.”
Additional Iowa Venture Award recipients this year included Hinterland Dairy of Donnellson, Industrial Packaging Corporation-Wilton ProPulse of Peosta, Riverview Ridge of Rock Valley, Sister’s Home Style Entrees of Humboldt, TrinityRail of Shell Rock as “Outstanding Business of the Year”, and Rand Fisher, President of Iowa Area Development Group was honored for “Leadership in Economic Development”.
This marks the 33rd year that IADG has presented Iowa Venture Awards to individuals and organizations, both large and small, in recognition of their significant contributions to Iowa’s economy through entrepreneurial leadership, innovation and the creation of job opportunities. History has demonstrated that these are among the most accomplished and successful companies in the state. Together they are helping to sustain and grow Iowa’s economy. The Iowa Venture Award Hall of Fame of 280 companies can be found at www.lADG.com/HallOfFame.
IADG is the business and community development leader for Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities and independent telecommunication companies. Since 1985, the partnerships and economic development efforts of IADG and their sponsors have assisted with more than 2,250 projects, generating in excess of $13.2 billion of capital investment and over 54,500 new or retained jobs for Iowa.
