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Iowa’s Master Farmers rooted in history
Since 1926, the Iowa Master Farm Award has honored farmers for “Good Farming, Clear Thinking, Right Living.”
Rod Swoboda
March 18, 2024
5 Min Read
WINNERS: Each year, Wallaces Farmer and the Iowa Master Farmer Association select deserving candidates to receive the Master Farmer award.Farm Progress
The Iowa Master Farmer Class of 2024 has four winners, along with a recipient of the Exceptional Service to Agriculture award. They include:
Roger and Kathy Carlson, Red Oak
April Hemmes, Hampton
Neil and Becky McCoy, Villisca
Mark and Diane Schmitt, Fort Atkinson
Elwynn Taylor, Ames (Exceptional Service)
These individuals join a long line of winners, dating back to 1926, when Henry A. Wallace initiated the award to honor farmers who demonstrate outstanding farm management. He said the award was to recognize not only good farming practices, but also involvement in family and community.
The awards were not given in the years 1932-37, 1942-45, 1962 and 2021, due to the Depression, World War II, a combined class in 1962-63 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The long list below gives the names of all winners. An asterisk denotes the honor of “Exceptional Service to Agriculture.”
1926
George Christophel
George Godfrey
Lenus Hagglund
Charles Kirkpatrick
Fred W. La Doux
H.S. Martin
William McArthur
E.F. Morris
Lewis Morris
Fred Nelson
Dan J. Schnittjer
P.P. Stewart
Earl Watts
William Wendt
1927
Carl T. Anderson
H.D. Backhaus
Frank Beath
A.J. Blakely
R.R. Clampitt
E.L. Hill
John M. Hunt
Oscar W. Johnson
George W. Leffler
A.B. Myhr
Roy T. Pullen
Ray Redfern
Adolph Schultz
John N. Smith
George Steen
E.E. Tracy
1928
H.E. Barringer
Earl S. Elijah
Frank F. Everett
Burrell C. Foster
Theodore Gronna
Hervey E. Hazen
O.J. Kalsem
Seth Miller
Lewis T. Newton
Edward Reimer
Bert Schuelke
Otto F. Schultz
C. Everett Smith
Paul Strickler
Henry C. Vaske
1929
William C. Anderson
Harry J. Bode
James C. Davis
Z.T. Dunham
Harry Fox
William M. George
John Heuck
Frank Holland
Sam Kennedy
John Knight
R.C. McElhinney
Charles F. Michel
Harry Poundstone
W.H. Royer
G.E. Sauerbry
Everett L. Stewart
1930
H.K. Baker
J.J. Boatman
H.J. Grunewald
W.A. Hollowell
R.C. Hopp Sr.
E.W. Houston
W.F. Jager
R.G. Kinsley
Joseph Lengeling
H.L. Lubkeman
John McKeegan
F.L. Miller
Alex Reed
H.H. Rinker
E.H. Stevens
1931
Walter Beck
Roscoe Blinks
Robert M. Clark
John Collison
Herman Franzenburg
Louis Hadenfeldt
Mrs. J.E. Hoopes
D.F. Kruse
Fred Mitchell
John Swalin
1938
Herbert W. Buck
Orie F. Irwin
Allan B. Kline
Benjamin C. Neal
1939
Dayton W. Mather
J.D. Misbach
Herbert Schneckloth
P.C. Thedens
Will Yates
1940
Fred K. Breune
J.R. McKeown
Charles R. Mountain
E.N. Neal
1941
Ray Coglon
Henry Dall
Henry F. Olerich
Alvin Prestemon
1946
G.D. Bellman
E. Howard Hill
1947
Carney H. Connor
Leigh R. Curran
William H. Davidson
Henry Kernen
Earl Lyon
Marion Ringoen
1948
A.R. Clause
Fred Dubbert
Maynard Menefee
Harry Reese
J.P. Schnack
Peter Sidles
Richard Stephens
1949
Dale Blackwell
Wilbur E. Goodhue
Zeno Lapke
Arthur Linder
Charles O. Nelson
Lyle Sutton
1950
Clyde M. Core
J.E. Entz
John R. Holland
Peter J. Johnson
Hans A. Larsen
Clark Stroburg
1951
Herbert L. Campbell
Edwin Helming
Walter McConohy
John J. Moreland
Paul G. Williams
William H. Yungclas
1952
S.A. Barber
Frank Christensen
Lewis Greaser
Orville N. Kalsem
Clarence Pellett
C.B. Schager
L.G. Stevens
George K. Welty
1953
James D. Helmick
Doyce Miller
Lyle V. Ormston
Donald Pullin
Lawrence Reis
Merle Travis
G. Donald Trenary
1954
Clarence S. Hill
Wayne Keith
Sterling B. Martin
Dallas McGrew
Elmer E. Moreland
William Pennings
S.T. Rogers
1955
Whitfield Adamson
Alvin Christiansen
Wayne E. Norman
Harold Opsand
Ivan Slater
1956
Russell Eldred
C. Raymond Fisher
Lowell Hall
Ned E. Perrin
Donald W. Pratt
Elvin L. Sunde
1957
William Blahauvietz
William Darbyshire
Oswell H. Fisher
Donald Foutch
Ralph A. Long
Ray Mitchell
Otto Schaper
Amos B. Siglin
Marion Steddom
Ray E. Webber
1958
J. Merrill Anderson
Glenn Christy
Harold Neill
Alvin Schnack
1959
Bernard Collins
Floyd N. George
Donald L. Johnson
Ervin J.J. Koos
Thomas H. Newell
Lawrence Cain*
1960
Herbert E. Cline
Ralph Fox
Elmer J. Hamann
Donovan H. Kruse
Ferd F. Schmidt
1961
Edmund Groomes
William F. Imlau
Roy Olson
Wendell Pellett
Chester Shirer
1963
Walter R. Hagen
Harvey W. Moeckly
Joseph C. O’Hara
Ervin J. Schmuecker
1964
Bert Ballou
Glenn R. Brown
Elvie Dreeszen
Willis A. McAlpin
Les N. McGohan
1965
Hugh M. Black
Leon Haahr
J. Gordon Hollis
Harold V. Ryon
James W. Wright
1966
Norman Barker
Roy B. Keppy
Paul McNutt
Gaylord Stadlman
1967
Horace Autenrieth
Herbert Hinkhouse
Keith McAllister
George Schmidt
Francis Winslow
Dr. C.R. Weber*
1968
Louis Byrnes
Ralph Calmer
Eugene Dunphy
Ed Hanrahan
John D. Morris
Herbert W. Pike
Clifford Stille
1969
Donald F. Doolittle
Paul E. Griffith
Irvin A. Harvey
Maynard A. Newhouse
William H. Stillman
Harlan A. Tonderum
1970
Robert W. Bell
Leo Dunn
Jack M. Elliott
Harry E. Rasmussen
Art J. Schuiteman
1971
Harvey C. Bolte
Donald Hood
Edward Ladd
Kenneth Showalter
1972
Marlowe Feldman
Delbert L. Grafft
Garland C. Hanson
John R. Livingston
Wesley J. Shafer
E.P. “Dutch” Sylwester*
1973
George H. Busch
Glenn H. Freese
Frank A. Hasenclever
Buddy E. Jorgenson
Edward Klodt
Courtney Siglin
1974
David Flint
Roland Jensen
Glen Juelsgaard
Marshall King
DeVere Steffensen
Earl D. Zumbach
1975
Duane C. Boyd
Wilbert H. Frye
Lester Johnson
Morris J. Kluver
Dale E. Sorensen
William H. Greiner*
1976
Ollie Kaldenberg
Malcolm McGregor
Robert A. Schultz
Arthur H. Schweers
Robert Zacharias
1977
Gordon Enyart
Farris Gray
Robert L. Johnson
Bob Joslin
Ralph Mehl
Wiley W. Weaver
1978
Loren Eddy
Merlyn H. Groot
Ward Handorf
Robert Rawson
Louis D. Tronchetti
1979
Richard Kuecker
Donald L. Nielsen
Curtis Pflum
William L. Rempp
Virginia Striegel
1980
George A. Helmers
James E. & Ann Sage
Francis M. Toale
Lawrence J. Wall
John P. Wall
David L. Williams
1981
John “Ted” Huser
James Jorgensen Jr.
Howard P. Mogler
Glen M. Seberg
Alan L. Stevens
1982
Donald L. Doolittle
Alvin J. Gilbert
Allen J. Korslund
James Mohr
Ned O. Mohr
Philip R. Stillman
1983
Robert Christensen
G. Joe Lyon
Howard H. Lyon
Ralph “R.C.” Mathis
Myers M. Rossiter
Loren A. Schuett
1984
Kenneth & Evelyn Cook
Richard Groves
Wilfred Groves Jr.
Albert “Bud” Knake
Harlan A. Murley
Marlin Oosterhuis
Roland D. Petersen
1985
Richard K. Anderson
Charles Bjustrom
George Hoffman Jr.
Elmer F. Paper
Dale H. Sexton
1986
Walter Goeken
Alvin C. Hansen
Loyd Martin
Howard Mueller
1987
Donald Burt
Paul G. Copenhaver
Wayne V. Northey
Marvin J. Schlitzer
1988
Edgar W. Keith
William F. Petersen
Dwight R. Puttmann
Carl C. Willhoit
1989
Arnold I. Grau
Ralph R. Howe
Donald D. Newby
Oscar E. Steele
Everett Stoneberg*
1990
Stanley L. Bay
Edward J. Engstrom
Edward P. Keast
Wayne D. Scott
1991
Gerald E. Cornelius
Morris Greenley
David W. Hawkins
David & Cheryl Kalsem
Owen John & Ann Kalsem
1992
Vernon J. Beernink
Howard L. Johnson
Keith & LoRee Hora
Kenneth & Barbara Strohbehn
1993
Varel & Jackie Bailey
Robert A. Jardon
Kenneth Kassel
Ralph Manternach
1994
Bill Ellerman
Jerry Goldsmith
Ralph Neill
Dan Stadtmueller
1995
Gary Ewoldt
Paul Hill
David Noller
Harold Peyton
1996
Dennis & Janice Berger
Gary Holst
John Miller
Alvin Wright
Garren Benson*
1997
Donald Hertz
Duane Petersen
Richard Snyder
Ronald Swanson
1998
David Fisher
Doug Johnson
Lu Matthey
David Watkins
Regis Voss*
1999
Ken Fawcett
Curtis Raasch
John Schultz
J. Kelly Tobin
2000
Dave & Theresa Anton
Larry Anton
Craig Griffieon
Ron Kielkopf
Tom Ryan
Neil Harl*
2001
Dean Amstutz
Maynard Lang
Fritz Langguth
James Svendsen
Doug Svendsen
2002
Jim Anderson
Larry Beyer
Wayne Demmer
Arnold Odland
2003
Lee Faris
David Kunde
Ron Leistikow
Dick Thompson
2004
Jim Amdor
Jack Kintzle
Dean McWilliams
Jerry Morey
Stewart Melvin*
2005
Jerry Britten
Gary & Judy Burrack
Karol & Rozanne King
Gene Wiese
2006
Don & Marylou Ahrens
Howard Keitzer
David Petty
Ernest & Virginia Sage
Alfred Blackmer*
2007
Bill Couser
David Lubben
Kenneth Maass
Curtis & Brenda Meier
2008
Leland Boyd
Don & Linda Friedrichsen
Mike Hunter
Nick Hunter
Glenn Rowe
Robert Wisner*
2009
Russell Brandes
E. Thurman & Gerry Gaskill
Brad Moeckly
Rob Stout
2010
Jim Andrew
Jacque Andrew
Earl Cain
Rick Chipman
Jerry Fine
2011
Jim Bradford
Kevin & Terri Carstensen
Vincent Hassebrock
James Hultgren
Brian Peterson*
2012
Steve & Rosalie Christensen
Randall Eddy
Raymond Gaesser
Donald Struthers
Keith Heffernan*
2013
Jay Hansen
Nichols Farms
James & Janice Stillman
Jim Werner
2014
Roy & Phyllis Bardole
Marlyn Jorgensen
Brian Kemp
Gene Rouse
Michael Duffy*
William Edwards*
2015
Lee Aldrich
Steve Boender
Mason Fleenor
Tim Kapucian
Maynard Hogberg*
Frank Holdmeyer (Honorary Member)
John Otte (Honorary Member)
2016
Bill Northey
Myron Pingel
Tom & Anita Wall
Clark & Judi Yeager
Rich & Nancy Degner*
2017
Lisle & Margaret Cook
Will Frazee
Pam & Maurice Johnson
Rick Kimberley
Steve Johnson*
Clarke McGrath*
2018
Steve Berger
Jeff Hibbs
Shaun Lambertsen
Gordon Wassenaar
Mark Hanna*
2019
Larry Buss
Nick & Sue Hunt
Joseph Rash
Dan Winterhof
Joe Sellers*
2020
Ron Rosmann
Richard & Rita Godfrey
Tom Wagner
Jim Wagner
Rick Juchems
Rod Swoboda (Honorary Member)
Lynn Betts*
Wendy Wintersteen*
2022
John & Deanna Heisdorffer
Mark Mueller
Keith & Barb Sexton
Jeff & Jennifer Jorgenson
Paul Kassel*
2023
Jim Brown
John & Mary Fischer
Todd & Denise Wiley
Paul Lasley*
John Lawrence*
2024
Roger & Kathy Carlson
April Hemmes
Neil & Becky McCoy
Mark & Diane Schmitt
Elwynn Taylor*
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