March 27 was a joyful day for Iowa agriculture, as eight farmers were honored as 2025 Iowa Master Farmers in Ankeny, Iowa. Each year, Wallaces Farmer and the Iowa Master Farmer Association select deserving candidates who reflect exceptional agricultural production skills, commitment to family and service to community.
The 2025 Master Farmers are:
- Roger and Ellen Buehler, Odebolt
- Craig and Patti Hill, Ackworth
- John and Joan Maxwell, Donahue
- Stan and Karmen Mehmen, Plainfield
There also are two new winners of the Exceptional Service to Agriculture Award. They are Antonio Mallarino, a retired Iowa State University Extension soil fertility specialist, and Kelvin Leibold, a retired ISU Extension farm management specialist.
Look for profiles of each winner in the March 2025 issue of Wallaces Farmer and online at WallacesFarmer.com.
How it started
Wallaces Farmer first offered the Master Farmer award in 1926, when Henry A. Wallace decided his family’s magazine would sponsor the annual award. It was clear from the outset that the award was about more than farming, as it also encompassed involvement in family and community affairs. It made perfect sense to use the magazine’s motto — “Good Farming, Clear Thinking, Right Living” — as a basis for the Master Farmer scorecard.
Since then, 507 Iowans have received an Iowa Master Farmer award. Of the 507 Iowa Master Farmer Award winners, 475 are farmers, 29 are winners of the Exceptional Service to Agriculture Award and three are Honorary Master Farmers.
Candidates are nominated by farmers, neighbors, agribusiness leaders and farm organizations throughout Iowa. Judges for the 2025 awards were IMFA President Steve Berger, Iowa Master Farmer Foundation President Larry Buss, IMFA Vice President Jeff Jorgensen, 2023 Iowa Master Farmer Exceptional Service to Agriculture Award recipient Paul Kassel and Wallaces Farmer editor Gil Gullickson.