T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY - From left to right, Lillie Mae Chocolates Owner Aimee Deimerly-Snyder, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Rep. David Blom and Sen. Kara Warme converse at the store on 13th Street in Marshalltown Friday afternoon.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig joked more than once during a Friday afternoon stop at Lillie Mae Chocolates on 13th Street that he wanted to make owner Aimee Deimerly-Snyder an ambassador for the state’s “Choose Iowa” program for products grown, raised and made in the state.

Deimerly-Snyder, who has run the iconic Marshalltown business with her husband Tom for over two decades, was proud to note the local origins of her caramel apples, which come from the Hinegardner Orchard outside of Montour, and the cream she gets from Anderson Erickson sourced through the Blood Dairy Farm near State Center. That was music to the ears for Naig, who was also joined by Rep. David Blom (R-Marshalltown) and Sen. Kara Warme (R-Ames).

“(It’s) all about trying to capitalize on that great brand for Iowa agriculture and build markets. We know that consumers want to buy local. They’re looking for it, and so we have a tremendous opportunity for that,” Naig said.

Currently, the program has 172 members, and those interested in joining can visit www.chooseiowa.com. For Deimerly-Snyder, it’s all about finding consistently high-quality products to make the array of delectable delicacies Lillie Mae offers its customers, ranging from the aforementioned apples to fudge, truffles, popcorn and ice cream.

“We use an Iowa popcorn, and I think it is pivotal for the quality of our popcorn. It is so delicious. It’s fresh. You can tell it hasn’t been sitting in a warehouse for two years. It’s got good snap, and it just makes a far superior product,” she said. “I’m hoping to source our corn syrup, so that’s something that does not come from Iowa right now. Obviously it should. I just need to find the right source for it, and then also, I would like to consistently like to start getting our butter (from Iowa). That’s just finding a consistent source, and pricing has to be right.”

According to Naig, officials have seen an increase in on-farm dairy processing, so the state has provided some grant funding to expand meat and dairy operations in the last few years. Piggybacking off of her thoughts on the locally sourced popcorn, Deimerly-Snyder said customers notice the difference in their caramel apples as well, with caramel made fresh every day and the apples being picked 15 miles away and dropped off at the shop within a day after they’ve been harvested.

Naig, Blom and Warme each took turns learning the process of making their own heart-shaped caramels dipped in milk chocolate during the visit on Friday.

Blom, Naig and Warme each took turns dipping heart-shaped caramels into a vat of milk chocolate, and the legislators said they would continue to look for ways to support both local small businesses and local farming operations during the session in Des Moines.

“Marshalltown is a resilient community that loves supporting each other, and so, hearing the success you’re having here, it’s great to think about how we spread that statewide drawing on the Choose Iowa program that’s been built,” Warme said. “It’s an existing program, but we were discussing earlier (that) Secretary Naig and his department can come to us if they’re running into barriers in legislation (or) barriers in funding, you know, how do we prove the payoff for the state in these programs? And as those grow, then it’s a worthwhile investment of taxpayer dollars, for sure.”

Blom called Lillie Mae’s “a Marshalltown classic” that he will continue to support through purchasing their popcorn and chocolates while advocating for Iowa products at the statehouse.

Deimerly-Snyder noted that excess products they can’t use are often donated back to food pantries and other organizations assisting with hunger.

“So it’s super important, really, to shop local. It’s important for people to think about where their food is coming from, especially in a state like Iowa. We have such great opportunities for great products, so it makes a big difference,” she said.

So far, the legislature has been accommodating to the Choose Iowa program, Naig said, but he plans to discuss a bit of an expansion during the current session. Speaking of expansion, Lillie Mae will be opening its second store on Main Avenue in Clear Lake this year, and its owners are looking toward franchising more locations in the future while subsequently growing their manufacturing operations in Marshalltown.

“We have done our small manufacturing in the basement of our home, so we did a commercial facility there. But that’s really just a stepping stone for us,” Deimerly-Snyder said. “We would like to continue to stay in Marshalltown (and) open up a bigger manufacturing facility to support the stores as we expand. It’s really just part of our long-term goal.”

During the visit, Deimerly-Snyder also highlighted the success the company has enjoyed marketing their products on the social media app TikTok.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.