DES MOINES — The Jason Folsom family from Calhoun County has been named the winner of the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Thursday.

Naig will present the award to the family on Tuesday.

The ceremony will be at the Expo Center on the Calhoun County Fairgrounds in Rockwell City.

“Animal agriculture is so important to our state and adds so much to rural communities. It is an honor to help recognize our farm families like the Folsoms’ that do such a great job caring for their animals and protecting the environment while also being active leaders in the community and helping feed the world,” Naig said.

Jason Folsom and his family raise hogs and also grow corn and soybeans.

The family was nominated for the award by Darcy Maulsby, a friend and fellow Calhoun County Farm Bureau board member and Calhoun County Corn Grower member. In her nomination, Maulsby highlighted the family’s commitment to caring for their animals, saying, “For Jason, producing high-quality pork starts with a focus on animal well-being. That includes proper nutrition, following tight biosecurity standards and maintaining a good working relationship with his veterinarian.”

The Folsoms also take great care to protect the environment. In her nomination, Maulsby said, “He injects swine nutrients into his fields to feed his crops. He has a manure management plan on file with the Iowa DNR and is subject to random DNR inspections. In addition, he has his swine manure tested regularly to measure the nutrient content. Jason also invests in soil tests to measure the nutrients in his fields.”

In addition to his work on the farm, Folsom is also active in his community, including serving on the Calhoun County Farm Bureau board of directors and a District 4 representative for the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award, made possible through the financial support of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers, recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who take pride in doing things right. This includes caring for the environment and their livestock and being good neighbors. It is named in memory of Gary Wergin, a long-time farm broadcaster who helped create the award.