Davis Family to Receive April Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award

04-14-2015 in Cattle

West Des Moines, Iowa – April 14, 2015 – The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) commends the Davis family of Wayne County for their outstanding efforts as a neighbors and community leaders. They have been named the April recipients of the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will present the award to the family on Wednesday, April 15 at the Promise City Community Center, 101 North Main Street, Promise City.

“Iowa farm families go to great lengths every day to provide the best possible care for their animals and the environment, while still being good neighbors and active community members,” CSIF Executive Director Brian Waddingham said. “This award is a great way to recognize people like the Davis’ who represent who we would all like to have as a neighbor.”

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 Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award, made possible through the financial support of CSIF, 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. For more information, visit www.supportfarmers.com/goodneighbor.

The full release from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is below:

RICKY AND MARY DAVIS FROM WAYNE COUNTY NAMED WERGIN GOOD FARM NEIGHBOR AWARD WINNERS

Award to be presented April 13 at the Community Center in Promise City

Contact: Dustin Vande Hoef, 515/281-3375 or 515/326-1616

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that Ricky and Mary Davis, who have a cow-calf operation in Wayne County, have been named the winners of the “Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”

Northey will present the award to the Davis family on Wednesday, April 15 at the Community Center, 102 N. Center St., in Promise City. 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.

“Iowa is blessed with livestock farmers go above and beyond to care for their animals, protect the land, help their neighbors and serve their community. Ricky and Mary Davis are deserving recipients of the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award as another great example of the outstanding livestock farmers we have in Iowa,” Northey said.

The Davis family has 100 cows and sells the calves as feeders. They also raise hay and row crops in the Plano and Promise City area.

The family was nominated for the award by Joe Dent, who highlighted their care for the land and service to the community in his nomination.

Dent said, “Ricky and Mary are very committed to improving their farm through the use of minimum tillage and no-till on their row crop acres. They have installed a lot of grassed waterways as well as seeded down a number of acres to control soil erosion and improve wildlife habitat. Cattle are also rotated from pasture to pasture so they do not over-graze. Ricky and Mary believe in doing things right on their farm for the benefit of future generations to come back home and farm in Wayne County.”

The family moved to Iowa from Maryland and has become very active in the community in addition to their work on the farm.

“They are neighbors to everyone in the community. They have helped me when I have needed help with haying my cow herd. They are such a pleasure to be around. We are so blessed when they chose to leave their home in Maryland to come live with us in the hills of southern Iowa,” Dent added in his nomination.

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.

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