Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon last week recognized 53 Iowa farm families for their environmental stewardship during a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair.

The award acknowledges farmers who are improving or protecting the environment using scientifically proven practices, like cover crops, wetlands, bioreactors and saturated buffers, which support the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

Since the creation of the Farm Environmental Leader Award in 2012, more than 500 Iowa farm families have...