East Central Iowa Farmer Partners

Jason Russell started farming 20 years ago on his family’s farm outside of Monticello, IA. His farming operation has changed over the years and today he raises corn, soybeans, cereal rye, and pigs. He also has a few cattle, timber, and custom farms for landowners in the area. He not only enjoys farming, but also enjoys sharing his knowledge with fellow farmers, students of all ages, and his own kids. His wife Sarah is a teacher, and they routinely have classes out to their farm to see and experience the crops and animals.  

Mike is a sixth-generation farmer and a scientist from Walcott, Iowa. He spent his early career obtaining a PhD and then working at the National Animal Disease Center before moving back to his family farm to operate the farm with his parents, wife, and kids. The farm consists of corn, soybeans, and farrow-to-finish hogs.

First generation farmer Mike Deahr began farming in the 1980s. They became conservationists shortly after that. “When we first moved to the farm, I bought a couple of cows. At that time the local municipality wasn’t doing a good job of keeping the water free of human sewage. One of my cows died in the creek. I became a conservationist because of that.”

ILF Farmer Partner Jerry Andresen started farming in 1968 and is now farming with his brother and son. They have 240 acres of row crops and also have a 40 head cow-calf operation. He uses strip-till on the contour to help with soil erosion.

One of Bryan Sievers’ most vivid memories is of his father planting into an old pasture with an early no-till planter he rented. At that time, it took four men standing on each row of the planter to get adequate down pressure. Continuing the strong conservation ethic of his father, Bryan has made agricultural innovation his life’s work, as he is one of only three farmers in Iowa who utilizes anaerobic digester technology.

Along with his brother, Doug took over operations of his family’s two century farms outside Wilton in 2004. At the time, they had deep concerns about soil erosion in their community and needed a system which would ensure the longevity of the farm’s living systems. Thus, the two immediately bought a no-till planter, even though they had some initial uncertainty about the practice.

At the end of the farm crisis in 1988, Laura Krouse made the careful yet conscious decision to buy some land. After 25 years, she continues to farm and is paving the way as a leader in conservation for male and female landowners alike.