HAMILTON COUNTY — Lynn Knutson and Joyce Knutson, guardians of the Lund Heritage Farm in Hamilton County, are among 40 farm families recognized with Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards at the 2025 Iowa State Fair.

The award recognizes farmers and farm families who go above and beyond to take voluntary actions to improve and protect our state’s natural resources, including our soil and water, while serving as leaders within their communities, according to a media release from Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig.

The farmers were recognized for implementing practices like cover crops, wetlands, bioreactors, saturated buffers, grass waterways, buffer strips, terraces, no till and many other proven conservation practices that improve water quality, enhance soil health and support the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

“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,” Naig said. “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 winners were chosen by a committee representing conservation and agricultural groups. A total of 861 Iowa farm families have been recognized since the creation of the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award in 2012.

Farmers in the area who were also honored include:

Nick Helland, Helland Farms, Boone County;

James Harrison and Sheri Harrison, Story County.