Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon honored 40 Iowa farm families with the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award. This prestigious award celebrates farmers and farm families who voluntarily take significant steps to protect and enhance Iowa’s natural resources while also serving as role models in their communities.
These families have adopted a variety of proven conservation practices, including cover crops, wetlands, bioreactors, saturated buffers, grassed waterways, buffer strips, terraces, and no-till farming. Their efforts directly support the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy by improving water quality and soil health. Beyond their own farms, these families demonstrate that conservation is both practical and impactful, inspiring others across the state to follow their lead.
The winners were chosen by a committee representing conservation and agricultural groups. A total of 861 Iowa farm families have been recognized since the creation of the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award in 2012.
The 2025 award recipients, listed alphabetically by county, are:
- Ross Havens – Nichols Farms, Adair County
- Nick Helland – Helland Farms, Boone County
- James and Jenny Adams – Buena Vista County
- James Hepp – Hepp Farms, Calhoun County
- Ryan Bowman- Ryan and Kelsey Bowman Family, Carroll County
- John Black – Cedar County
- Jeff Rooney and Karla Rooney – Rooney Farms LLC, Cerro Gordo County
- Bruce Husman and Cindy Husman – Husman Farms, Cherokee County
- Brent Swart and Steve Swart – Swart Farms, Clay County
- Joe Sass – Clayton County
- Nathan Goedken – Delaware County
- Lillie Beringer Crock – Beringer Family Farms, Dubuque County
- Rick Matt and Damien Matt – Varykino, Inc, Fayette County
- Doug Alert and Margaret Smith – Ash Grove Farm, Franklin County
- Justin Robbins and Lacie Robbins – Robbins Land and Cattle, Greene County
- Doug Christiansen – Grundy County
- Grant Johnson and Vernon Johnson – Grundy County
- Lance Moeller and Jerry Moeller – Grundy County
- Michael Murphy and Jason Murphy – Grundy County
- Lynn Knutson and Joyce Knutson – Lund Heritage Farm, Hamilton County
- Mike and Michelle Coleman – Humboldt County
- Chris Lee – Ida County
- David Dermody and Travis Dermody – Iowa County
- Dirk Van Wyk and Jourdan Van Wyk – Van Wyk Family Farms, Jasper County
- Rick Vos – Jasper County
- Clinton Mikesell – Keokuk County
- Sara Hanson Pearson and Robert Pearson – Prairie Sky Farm, Kossuth County
- Bill Benjamin – Lee County
- Nathan Nieuwendorp – Emery Creek Inc., Lyon County
- Jerry Kincade and Becky Kincade – Kincade Farmland Trust, Madison County
- Jackson Drost and Amanda Drost – Drost Farms, Mahaska County
- Tony Brink and Roberta Brink – Marshall County
- Mike Deahr – Deer Haven Farms, Muscatine County
- Patrick Dipple and Katherine Dipple – Muscatine County
- Terry Gleaves – Pottawattamie County
- Wesley Henry – Pottawattamie County
- Tom and Kaitlin Geake and John and Cathy Geake – Sac County
- Taylor Kats and Jessica Kats – Sioux County
- James Harrison and Sheri Harrison – Story County
- Russell Olson and Hayden Olson – Olson Farms, Worth County
