Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig will present the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to Stan and Martha Nelson of Des Moines County at their family farm near Danville on Thursday, July 9. The ceremony will take place during a lunchtime event held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Stan and Martha Nelson operate a diversified farm that has been in their family since 1894. Known by the name of Metairie, the operation currently includes corn and soybean production on the original land purchased by the Nelson family more than 130 years ago. The Nelson’s worked with Stan’s dad, Don, to develop a purebred Black Angus Herd and later finished cattle at their feedlot. Over the years, the Nelsons have grown seed corn, seed soybeans, popcorn for Kernel Don’s, alfalfa, grass hay, wheat and briefly tofu soybeans.
Stan and Martha continue to live in the home built on the farm in 1919, surrounded by land that has been cared for by generations of the family. They have 5 children: Valerie (Jared) Wagner, Emily (Caleb) Enger, Eric (Katie) Nelson, Andrew (Takyee) Nelson, and Rebecca (Taylor) Fraise, with 15 grandchildren ranging in age from one to 18 years old.
“Stan and Martha have earned the admiration and respect of their neighbors through decades of hard work, integrity and service,” said Secretary Naig. “For generations, the Nelson family has demonstrated that responsible farming practices and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Their willingness to embrace conservation, mentor others and remain actively engaged in agriculture makes them very deserving of the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”
Click here to see more...