DES MOINES — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon today recognized 44 Iowa farm families with Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards at the 2024 Iowa State Fair. The award acknowledges farmers who take voluntary actions to improve and protect our state’s natural resources, including our soil and water, serving as leaders within their communities.
These farm families use cover crops, no-till, wetlands, bioreactors, saturated buffers, grass waterways and many other proven conservation practices that improve water quality, enhance soil health and support the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. These worthy recipients recognize that the benefits of conservation practices extend beyond their farms, and their leadership encourages others to adopt similar conservation practices.
“Farming and environmental stewardship have always gone hand-in-hand,” said Governor Reynolds. “Today, we’re proud to honor farm families who have gone above and beyond, often for generations, to safeguard the land that feeds the world and makes our way of life possible. Congratulations to the 2024 IFELA award winners and thank you for preserving our state’s natural resources for decades to come.”
“Iowa continues to set records for conservation and water quality practice implementation, and this award recognizes our state’s farm families who are leading the way and serving as positive examples for others,” said Secretary Naig. “We are committed to accelerating our state’s water quality efforts in the years ahead and I am confident that Iowa’s farmers and landowners will rise to meet to this challenge.”
“We take great pride in recognizing these leaders in our farming communities throughout our state who prioritize sound conservation practices,” said Director Lyon. “Their commitment to conservation is paving the way for future generations and inspiring other farmers.”
The winners were chosen by a committee representing conservation and agricultural groups. A total of 821 Iowa farm families have been recognized since the creation of the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award in 2012. A list of previous recipients is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website.
High-resolution photos will be available for within one month of the ceremony on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Flickr page.
The 2024 award recipients, listed alphabetically by last name, are:
Tom and Mary Beth Adam – Keokuk County
Green Country Farms LLC – Alec Amundson and Adam Norby – Mitchell County
Balderston Farms – Aaron and Dawn Balderston – Linn County
Bretz Farms LLC – Michael and Lisa Bretz – Buchanan County
Marty and Lisa Danzer – Carroll County
Tamara Deal – Guthrie County
Divan Farms – Jeff and Haley Divan – Winnebago County
Sean and Sara Dolan – Buchanan County
Brandt and Stacy Ferry – Shelby County
Matt Goodman – Marshall County
David and Julie Guthrie Family – Delaware County
Steve Henze and Joan Meester – Grundy County
Conner and Ashley Hildreth – Calhoun County
Jay and Marlowe Jung – Floyd County
Jason and Jordan Klinge – Clayton County
Kubik Farm – Tama County
Hunter Lindgren – Ida County
Dallas and Rebecca Linkenmeyer – Howard County
Keith Lovrien Farm – Butler County
Maxwell Farms – Story County
Andy and Lisa Merron – Kossuth County
Eric A Miller – Dubuque County
Metairie Ltd – Stan and Martha Nelson – Des Moines County
Bloomsbury Farm – David and Karen Petersen – Benton County
Broken Kettle Feedlot – Plymouth County
Kevin Prevo – Davis County
David and Mary Robinette – Montgomery County
Oaklawn Farms – Leon Schau – Lee County
Tony and Shirley Schroeder – Plymouth County
David, Amy, Aaron and Ean Scott – Muscatine County
Nick and Mary Sennert – Buena Vista County
Joseph and Janice Shirbroun – Carroll County
Jessob and Jenna Steffen – Clay County
Sterling Farms – Wapello County
Steve and Sue Anne Stoermer – Clay County
Tim and Jana Terwilliger – Humboldt County
Eric and Tali Vander Stouwe – Sioux County
Tom and Jen Vaske Family Farm – Delaware County
Mark and Brennen Vogel – Guthrie County
Brent and Cara Wells – Pocahontas County
Weston Family Farms – Luke and Alicia Weston – Buchanan County
Russell and Beth Winterhof – Cherokee County
Brush Creek Henhouse LLC – Mark and Alana Yoder and Sara Yoder – Decatur County
Dennis and Ann Youngquist and Timothy and Amanda Youngquist – Sac County
