Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards Presented to 40 Farm Families at the 2025 Iowa State Fair Prestigious award recognizes farmers who are leaders in conservation and water quality
DES MOINES, Iowa (Aug. 13, 2025) – Gov. Kim Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon today recognized 40 Iowa farm families with Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards at the 2025 Iowa State Fair. The award recognizes farmers and farm families who go above and beyond to take voluntary actions to improve and protect our state’s natural resources, including our soil and water, while serving as leaders within their communities.
These farm families implement practices like cover crops, wetlands, bioreactors, saturated buffers, grass waterways, buffer strips, terraces, no till 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.
“Here in Iowa, we know that agriculture and conservation go hand in hand,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Our farmers feed and fuel the world – and they also lead the way in protecting soil, improving our water quality, and adopting innovative practices that will keep our state striving for generations to come.”
“Iowa’s farm families continue to be the driving force behind building a lasting culture of conservation within our state. Farmers are voluntarily adopting practices like cover crops, no till, buffer strips, wetlands, bioreactors and many more, and are helping us set conservation adoption records year after year,” said Secretary Naig. “The Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award winners are shining examples of community leaders who are taking action on their own land and inspiring others to do the same. This creates a ripple effect and helps drive conservation progress across Iowa.”
“We take great pride in recognizing these leaders in our farming communities throughout our state who put sound conservation practices at the forefront of their operations,” said Director Lyon. “Their conservation practices are leading the change and setting an example for future generations and other farmers.”
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.
A list of previous recipients is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website. High-resolution photos will be available within one month of the ceremony on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Flickr page.
The 2025 award recipients, listed alphabetically by county, are:
Dirk Van Wyk and Jourdan Van Wyk
Van Wyk Family Farms
Jasper County
Rick Vos
Jasper County
Clinton Mikesell
Keokuk County
Jackson Drost and Amanda Drost
Drost Farms
Mahaska County
