Delaware County's Recker Family honored with Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award
The Recker family from Delaware County, Iowa, was recently honored with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award for their exceptional farming practices, conservation efforts, and dedication to their community. The award, presented by Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Grant Menke on behalf of Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, recognizes farmers who demonstrate good stewardship of the land, care for their animals, and contribute positively to their rural communities.
The Recker family's farm, Recker's Enterprises, was incorporated in 1998 and is located east of Hopkinton. Cory Recker, a fourth-generation farmer, began farming alongside his parents, Jack and Pam Recker, in 1992. Today, he leads the operation, which integrates row crop production with livestock management and includes diversified income sources such as machinery trading and a car dealer license held by Cory.
The Recker family's farm is Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certified and employs a dedicated team of local employees, including Aaron Knipper, Tanner Fellinger, Ashton Klaren, and Quinton Fellinger. Their operation is diverse, producing corn, soybeans, hay, and corn silage, and maintaining a 60-cow herd that produces show cattle. Any calves that are not sold for show are finished on the farm.
Environmental stewardship is a priority on the Recker farmstead. The family has installed terraces, buffer strips, and grassed waterways, enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), practices minimal tillage on highly erodible land, and uses rye as a cover crop.
Cory Recker is heavily involved in the agricultural community, serving as a member of the Jones County Cattlemen, Iowa Cattlemen's Association, and Iowa Farm Bureau. He is also a girls basketball coach with Monticello High School since 2018.
The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award is a partnership between the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers (CSIF), The Big Show on WHO Radio, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The award, now in its 21st year, is named in memory of Gary Wergin, a long-time WHO Radio farm broadcaster who helped create the award.
One of Cory and Emily's daughters, Lydia, is farming 50 acres and learning about marketing and agronomics. Lydia is heavily involved in making genetic choices and marketing with the cow herd. The Recker family's focus on livestock care, conservation practices, and fostering future agricultural leaders aligns with the criteria for this award, making them a deserving recipient.
The Recker family's dedication to sustainable farming, community mentorship, and agriculture education has set a high standard for other farmers in the area. Their commitment to the land, their animals, and their community has earned them the respect and admiration of their peers and the wider agricultural community.
- The Recker family, from Delaware County, Iowa, was honored with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award, recognizing their dedication to their community and exceptional farming practices.
- Recker's Enterprises, established in 1998, employs a team of local workers, including Aaron Knipper, Tanner Fellinger, Ashton Klaren, and Quinton Fellinger.
- Cory Recker, a fourth-generation farmer, is heavily involved in the agricultural community of Iowa, serving in various organizations such as the Iowa Farm Bureau and Jones County Cattlemen.
- Lydia, one of Cory and Emily's daughters, is learning about marketing and agronomics while farming 50 acres and making genetic choices for their cow herd.
- The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award is a partnership between the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers (CSIF), The Big Show on WHO Radio, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, now in its 21st year.
- The Recker family's focus on livestock care, conservation practices, and fostering future agricultural leaders demonstrates their commitment to environmental-science, education-and-self-development, and community development through agriculture.
