A Calhoun County farmer is among three statewide recipients of Iowa Farm Bureau’s 2024 Young Leadership Award.
James Hepp is a first-generation farmer who grows corn, soybeans, rye for seed, and has a strong focus on conservation. Hepp hosts field days on his farm to share his knowledge about improving soil health with other farmers, with an emphasis on cover crops and no-till practices. He is the Calhoun County Farm Bureau Board President.
Iowa Farm Bureau’s 2024 Young Farmer Leadership Award was created in honor of former IFB President Bob Joslin, and recognizes farmers under the age of 35 who contribute to and demonstrate leadership within their communities and agriculture. Each winner is given a two-thousand dollar grant to a non-profit of their choice. Hepp is donating his award grant money to the Hometown Heroes Memorial Ride in Rockwell City. The ride honors public safety professionals who were killed in the line of duty, including the late Urbandale police officer and Rockwell City native Justin Martin, who was a high school friend of Hepp’s.
