Northwest Iowa — A farm family from O’Brien County and another from Osceola County will receive awards during this year’s Iowa State Fair.
According to the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture’s office, the O’Brien County farmer to be recognized is Rick Hofmeyer, who farms near Paullina, and from Osceola County the Van Diepen family of John, Tracy, Collin, Lauren and Jillian, who farm near Ocheyedan, are two of 53 families to receive a Farm Environmental Leader Award on August 14th at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.
According to a press release, the award acknowledges farmers who take voluntary actions to improve or protect the environment and Iowa’s natural resources.
The families recognized use scientifically-proven practices, like cover crops, wetlands, bioreactors and saturated buffers, which support the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. The recipients recognize the benefits of conservation practices extend beyond their fields to the residents downstream.
The winners were chosen by a committee representing both conservation and agricultural groups.
Since the creation of the Farm Environmental Leader Award in 2012, more than 500 Iowa farm families have been recognized by the Governor, Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Department of Natural Resources.
