DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that Joe Patterson from rural Altoona in Polk County is the winner of the December “Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”
Northey will present the award to Patterson on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting at the Meadows Event and Conference Center in Altoona. The “Big Show,” which airs on both WHO and WMT radio, will broadcast live from the presentation from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“Joe is a great example of the cattlemen that we have in this state that go above and beyond to care for their animals, protect their land and serve their community,” Northey said.
Patterson and his family have a cow-calf operation and also raise row crops in Polk County.
The family’s neighbor Jim Nelson nominated him for the award sighting the outstanding care he shows for his animals, his commitment to the environment and also for his work in the community.
In his nomination Nelson said, “Joe pays special attention to his livestock and can be seen tending to them numerous times per day. He also raises his crops in an environmentally-sound manner though conservation tillage techniques and crop rotation.”
Beside his work on the farm, Nelson also said Patterson deserves recognition for all his work in the community. Patterson currently serves a vice president of the Polk County Cattlemen and serves on the Polk County Farm Bureau Board.
“Joe is very active in the community. He is typically the first to help someone out and the last one to ask for help. Joe has never been one to seek any recognition for his efforts, so this award would be a great way to show him how much his neighbors appreciate his efforts – both on the farm as a good neighbor and in the community,” Nelson added.
In closing his nomination Nelson said, “The Patterson’s represent what the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award is all about, being a good neighbor, being a good steward of the land and being a great caregiver to their livestock.”
The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award, made possible through the financial support of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers, recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who take pride in doing things right. This includes caring for the environment and their livestock and being good neighbors. It is named in memory of Gary Wergin, a long-time WHO Radio farm broadcaster who helped create the award.
Anyone interested in nominating their neighbor for the award should write a letter or e-mail explaining why their neighbor should receive this designation. Applications may be submitted to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Attn: Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award, Henry A. Wallace Building, Des Moines, IA 50319 or emailed to Communications@iowaAgriculture.gov.
Northey, a corn and soybean farmer from Spirit Lake, is serving his second term as Secretary of Agriculture. His priorities as Secretary of Agriculture are promoting the use of science and new technologies to better care for our air, soil and water, and reaching out to all Iowans to tell the story of Iowa agriculture.
