Daryl and Alyda Haack of O’Brien County were presented with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig last week.

The Haack family runs a cow-calf herd and row crop operation near Primghar. The  Century Farm has been operated by numerous family members. Daryl and Alyda’s son, Josh, is continuing the family tradition.

The family is focused on caring for their land so it can provide for the next generation. Their implementation of buffer strips and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) ground allows them to farm productively while conserving Iowa’s natural resources. They also strip-till corn and no-till beans.

“Since the Haack farm was established over 100 years ago, the family has evolved their farming practices to keep their land sustainable for many years to come,” said Naig. “The family knows the importance of taking care of the land while being involved in the community, making them deserving of the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”

The O’Brien County Farm Bureau nominated the Haack family for the award. Daryl is active in his community and agriculture groups, serving on the O’Brien County Farm Bureau board as well as the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association board, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the Little Sioux Corn Processors board. He also represented Iowa farmers while serving on the National Corn Promotion Board.

“[The Haack family] are excellent environmental stewards, ex­­ceptional animal caretakers and ever-present in their community,” the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers, co-sponsor of the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award, noted in a social media post.