DES MOINES, Iowa (April 9, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig will present the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to the Dan and Jan Keitzer family of Des Moines County on Friday, April 11. The presentation will take place at 11 a.m. at their family farm near Mediapolis.
When World War II broke out, the Keitzer family’s farm near West Burlington was needed by the federal government to construct an ammunition plant. In 1941, they relocated and put down new roots at their current farm near Mediapolis. In the more than eight decades since, generations of the Keitzer family, including Dan upon his graduation from college in 1983, have farmed and cared for their land and livestock. Today’s farming operation includes Dan and his wife Jan, their son Keaton and his wife Keely, their daughter Kendra and her husband Travis Meisgeier, as well as Dan’s cousin Bryan Keitzer and uncle Robert Keitzer. The farm includes corn and soybean production, seed corn production for Beck’s Hybrids, custom feeding of pigs for JBS, and a custom planting and harvesting enterprise.
“Rural Iowa continues to be a wonderful place to call home because we have great farm families like the Keitzers who contribute to their communities and support their neighbors in so many ways,” said Secretary Naig. “The Keitzers are good stewards of their land and excellent caretakers of their livestock. They are well respected leaders within their community and in Iowa agriculture. They step up, time and again, to serve and to lead. I am pleased to present them with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”
The family has long believed in the importance of conservation to enhance soil health and to improve water quality. They utilize management practices such as no till, reduced tillage, and vertical tillage to minimize soil disturbances that can lead to erosion. They have grid sampled their fields since 1992, which allows them to deploy technology that ensures each acre has the precise nutrients needed to be as productive as possible. They have also constructed waterways and terraces, both of which are structural practices that protect the soil and water.
The Keitzers pride themselves on taking good care of their livestock. Keaton has assumed a leadership role in the swine operation and is PQA (Pork Quality Assurance) certified. Their pigs enjoy modern comforts such as automatic feeders and waterers, drop curtains for adequate ventilation, and a back-up generator that ensures seamless operations in the case of a power outage.
The Keitzers are strong supporters of and contributors to their community. Dan and Jan are members of the Mediapolis Methodist Church, where Dan has served as Treasurer since 1991. Dan serves on the Board of the Southeast Iowa Research Farm. He has also been a member of the County Extension Committee, 4-H and Youth Committee and Treasurer of the Des Moines County Fair. He is actively involved in the local Lions Club, where he has given of his time and talents to serve as a leader for many building projects within the community and fairgrounds. The Keitzers are longtime members of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Soybeans Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, and Iowa Corn Growers Association, where Dan currently serves on the Board of Directors as well as Chairman of the Usage and Production Committee. He has previously served in many leadership roles for the Des Moines County Pork Producers. The Keitzers frequently welcome international trade delegations, ensuring that visitors to our state can see an Iowa farm and meet a farm family.
The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award is made possible through a partnership with 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, this award recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who take pride in caring for the environment and their livestock while also being good neighbors. It is named in memory of Gary Wergin, a long-time WHO Radio farm broadcaster who helped create the award.
