Four north central Iowa farm families were recognized by the State of Iowa for their environmental leadership in agriculture.

James Hepp, of Calhoun County; Lynn Knutson and Joyce Knutson, of Hamilton County; Mike and MIchelle Coleman, of Humboldt County; and Tom and Kaitlin Geake and John and Cathy Geake, of Sac County, were all honored by Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday at the Iowa State Fair.

Forty Iowa farm families were recognized for their leadership and voluntary actions to improve and protect the state’s natural resources while also serving as leaders within their communities.

“Here in Iowa, we know that agriculture and conservation go hand in hand,” said Reynolds. “Our farmers feed and fuel the world — and they also lead the way in protecting soil, improving our water quality, and adopting innovative practices that will keep our state striving for generations to come.”

According to Reynolds, the families honored implement practices like cover crops, wetlands, bioreactors, saturated buffers, grass waterways, buffer strips, terraces, no till, and many other conservation practices that improve water quality and enhance soil health.

“Iowa’s farm families continue to be the driving force behind building a lasting culture of conservation within our state. Farmers are voluntarily adopting practices like cover crops, no till, buffer strips, wetlands, bioreactors and many more, and are helping us set conservation adoption records year after year,” said state Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “The Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award winners are shining examples of community leaders who are taking action on their own land and inspiring others to do the same. This creates a ripple effect and helps drive conservation progress across Iowa.”

The 2025 award winners were chosen by a committee representing conservation and agricultural groups. More than 860 Iowa farm families have been recognized since the creation of the award in 2012.