Nominations are now open for the 2020 Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year award, which has been co-sponsored by the Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) since 1952.

The annual award honors an Iowa farmer who has a proven track record of excellence in soil conservation and water quality improvements and is committed to long-term land and water protection.

The winner receives free use of a John Deere 6E Series utility tractor for up to 12 months or 200 hours of use. The prize, valued at more than $12,000, is sponsored annually by Van Wall Equipment of Perry and John Deere.   Nominations are due to your county Soil & Water Conservation District office by May 18.

How to Nominate Someone

The nomination process is easy. A farmer can be nominated for the award by any Iowan simply by sending a brief letter or email - 100 words or less - summarizing the nominee’s conservation efforts and community support to their county Soil and Water Conservation District office (at their county Natural Resources Conservation Service office) by May 18. The SWCD will choose one nomination in each county to advance for consideration for a regional award, and the nine regional award winners will then compete for the overall state award. The winner will be announced at the 2020 Iowa State Fair.  They also will be honored at the Iowa Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners Annual Meeting in August in Ames, Iowa. For reference only, you can learn more about the award criteria by reviewing the SWCD nomination form by clicking here. 

For more information, contact Rick Robinson, Iowa Farm Bureau environmental policy advisor, at rrobinson@ifbf.org, or your county Soil & Water Conservation District office.