Local Residents Among Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award Recipients

Nearly forty Iowa farm families received a special honor at the Iowa State Fair last week.

The Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards were presented by Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon.

The award acknowledges farmers who take voluntary actions to improve and protect our state’s natural resources while serving as leaders in their communities.

Among this year’s local award recipients are the Ryan and Kristy Gibbs family of Delaware County, Daniel and Lisa Berns of Clayton County and Joshua Henik of Linn County.

These farm families use proven in-field and edge-of-field practices such as cover crops, no-till, wetlands, bioreactors and saturated buffers, among many others, that support the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy by holding soil in place and improving water quality. These recipients recognize that the benefits of conservation practices extend beyond their fields, and their leadership encourages others to adopt similar conservation practices.

Nearly eight hundred Iowa farm families have been recognized since the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award was created in 2012.