We partner with farmers all around the state. Read their stories and find connections in your area by clicking on the regions below.
For nearly 175 years, the Smith family has been raising crops and livestock in the hills of rural Dubuque County. Located in the heart of Iowa’s driftless region, Jack, Nick, and Ted Smith put great focus on preserving the state’s soil while remaining profitable. Growing roughly 600 acres of corn and soybeans along 425 head of cattle, the family takes great pride in working to diversify the landscape to build opportunities for generations to come.
Read MoreDave Ruden has farmed his entire life and most recently, he has been farming for a higher purpose. Ruden is the farm manager for the New Melleray Abbey located south of Dubuque. The New Melleray Abbey has approximately 3,400 acres including 1,400 acres of wooded land. The farm has been the property of the Abbey since 1849 when it was founded. The farm was run by the monks at the abbey in the past, but Ruden now oversees the work of tenants to whom they rent the row crop acres.
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