Poweshiek County Family to Receive Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award

03-18-2013 in Good Farm Neighbor

West Des Moines, Iowa – March 18, 2013 – The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) commends the Kenny and Diane Cadden family of Poweshiek County for their outstanding efforts as neighbors and community leaders. Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Jay Johnson will present the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award to the Cadden family on Wednesday, March 27 at the Cadden’s farm, 1645 430th Ave., Brooklyn.

“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 families like the Caddens 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:

KENNY AND DIANE CADDEN OF POWESHIEK COUNTY NAMED WERGIN GOOD FARM NEIGHBOR AWARD WINNER

Award to be presented on March 27 at the Cadden Farm near Brooklyn

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

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that Kenny and Diane Cadden from Brooklyn in Poweshiek County have been named the March winners of the “Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”

Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Jay Johnson will present the award to the Cadden family on Wednesday, March 27 at the Cadden’s farm, 1645 430th Ave., Brooklyn. 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. on March 27.

“The Cadden family is a great asset to our state as they go above and beyond to take great care of their livestock while also serving their neighbors and reaching out to their community,” Northey said. “The Good Farm Neighbor Award was created to recognize families like this that are an example of the great livestock farmers we have in this state.”

The Cadden’s, along with their children James, Emily, Kyle, Eric, Brian and Katelyn, farm approximately 1000 acres and also raise hogs for Eichelberger Pork. In addition to farming their own land, the family also does some custom work for neighbors. The family has two hog barns that were built to help grow their operation so that their children could be involved on the farm.

In addition to the work on their farm, the family is active in the community. They are active in the local Catholic Church and supporter of the Brooklyn/Guernsey/Malcom school that their children attend.

The family was nominated for the award by Dan DeVries, who serves as their crop insurance agent and is a friend of the family. In his nomination DeVries highlights the work of the Cadden family on conservation, saying “The ground in eastern Poweshiek County has rolling hills, so Kenny is very conservation minded and implements numerous crop production practices to reduce the potential for soil erosion. He practices no-till farming, uses crop rotation, has installed grassed waterways, and has worked with his local NRCS office to build terraces on his farm.”

In closing his nomination DeVries said, “The Cadden’s represent what the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award is all about, being a good neighbor, being a good steward of the land and their livestock and being active community members.”

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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