A tasty gift from Iowa is making soldiers happy, and the generosity of donors will also help their families through the occasional financial emergency. The Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation has been raising money since May to buy meat and make beef sticks to ship to the troops. The Foundation’s Michelle Baumhover says so far they’ve raised 61-thousand dollars for the manufacture and shipping of the processed meat sticks. Because of the outpouring of support, so far they’ve raised over 60-thousand dollars, produced more than 63-thousand sticks, and sent five shipments of them off in the mail. Baumhover says extra money raised so far was donated to a cause that also helps soldiers with their personal needs. Five-thousand dollars went to the Iowa National Guard Officers auxiliary, to give financial assistance to families who have an immediate need. The effort’s been a project of Iowa farmers and others, including an Ackley processor who made the meat sticks, an Ames marketing company that handled shipments, and Iowa bankers and county Farm Bureau offices that served as collection points.