DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that Mark and Nancy Buskohl from Grundy Center in Grundy County have been named the May winner of the “Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”
Northey will present the award to the Buskohl family on Tuesday, May 22nd at the Grundy Community Center, 705 F Ave., in Grundy Center. 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. The Grundy County Cattlemen will be providing lunch and have requested an RSVP, but it is not required. RSVP's can be made by calling the Grundy County Farm Bureau office at 319-824-5212.
“It is great to be able to recognize Mark and Nancy as ‘Good Farm Neighbors’ for all the work they do to care for their animals and the land while also serving their neighbors and the community,” Northey said. “The Buskohl’s are another example of the great farm families we have in Iowa that go out of their way to help others.”
Mark and Nancy raise approximately 300 steers in a hoop barn and also have a cow-calf herd. They also have a 100 head ewe flock and finish hogs as part of a local pork production organization. They have two grown children, Philip and Caleb.
The Buskohl’s were nominated for the award by Jesse Willis, president of the Grundy County Farm Bureau. In nominating the family Willis said, “Besides his busy farming operation, Mark continues to be very active in the community! For many years, Mark represented the agricultural organizations in the county as a voting member of the Grundy County Development Alliance as he showed his passion for the agricultural community being part of the business community.”
In addition, Mark and Nancy have been involved at their church, with the local 4-H organization and Mark is a member of the Lions Club.
Willis added, “As an avid beef producer, Mark has a passion for the commodity producers to work together to have a voice in agriculture.”
The nomination was also supported by Grundy County Farm Bureau member Dave Hommel who said, “I admire Mark for his passion and his ability to follow through on those things he is most passionate about. He is SO dedicated to agriculture in Grundy County.”
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.
