Dodd farm receives Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award

September 5 was a big day on Brad Dodds Farm. The Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Mike Naig, joined Brian Waddingham, Executive Director of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers and WHO radio’s “The Big Show” to present Brad with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.

Neighbors began to gather at 11 a.m. for this important event. Everyone was having a great time visiting and meeting the dignitaries from Des Moines. A light lunch was served while everyone met.

Around noon, Naig began the presentation. In his remarks he emphasized the growing importance of “food security” and the role Iowa farmers play in this worldwide concern. Without the sound farming practices of Iowa farmers, the situation would be far more critical. He also stressed the importance of Land Stewardship. Iowa’s farmers continue to improve their practices on all fronts.

Brian Waddingham of the Coalition followed Mike’s words with a short explanation of the Wergin Good Neighbor Award. The Wergin Good Neighbor Award is sponsored by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers. The award is named in memory of Gery Wergin, a long-time WHO Radio farm broadcaster who helped create the award. Waddingham describes the three pillars of the award best, “I’m certainly proud to recognize farm families like the Dodds’ for being good environmental stewards, great animal caretakers, and are active community members.” The Dodds Farm is the 190th family farm to receive the award and the first farm in Des Moines County to do so.

The Dodds family also received the gift of a burr oak tree. The oak is the State Tree of Iowa. It is hoped that they will plant the tree in a prominent spot on the farm to be enjoyed by everyone passing by. When families arrived in Iowa after the Black Hawk War, they were greeted with expansive hickory oak forests.

The farm was established in 1937 and is a recognized Heritage Farm (owned by the same family for 150 years). The farm is currently operated by Brad and Tiffany Dodds. They are the parents of Ellsie and Layne. Brad’s parents and an aunt are still important in the day-to-day operation of the farm. Retirement is an oxymoron to this family.

Six years ago, Brad decided to replace the dairy farm with a hog operation. He normally has about 5,000 head in his two barns. The piglets come from Missouri as weanlings and are raised to market weight. They are then returned to Missouri for processing. There are still a few head of beef cattle raised there.

Both children are involved in the farm. Ellsie (10) helps with the beef cattle and the math. Ellsie said, “And I love math, so I like to help Dad with the math.” Layne (7) sums up their farm life: “My daddy’s a good farmer.”

When Brad decided to introduce the hog operation, he made sure to contact his neighbors and include their thoughts and concerns in his plans. His neighbors and friends agree wholeheartedly that Brad and his family deserve this award.

“The Dodds family have always been great friends and great neighbors, and this is a true reflection of their commitment to the farming community,” commented Jared Heckert, a lifelong friend.

As the Dodds Farm approaches the 200-year milestone, the care given to the land, generation after generation, proves how important it is to prevent Iowa’s farms from being taken over by large absentee owner corporations.

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