Generations strong and future ready

June 30, 2025 | Bethany Baratta

When Logan Brooke's ancestors first settled near Clarinda in 1869, they couldn't have imagined how the farm would change 156 years later as generations nurtured the family's farming tradition. Six generations later, Brooke looks to the experiences and insights the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) provides as he continues the farming legacy in Page County.

Brooke farms with his father, Lee, the board treasurer and a district 7 director for ISA. They grow soybeans and corn, and also alfalfa, oats and rye for cattle feed. They also manage a cow-calf operation. The father-son duo each farm their own land, and also work and farm together.

"We are very blessed to be where we are today," he says. "That wouldn't be possible without the hard work of my dad, grandpa, great-grandpa and the others before them," Brooke says.

Living on the original homestead, he feels a deep connection to the generations who came before him. As he and his wife Annie prepare to welcome their first child - a son due in August - that legacy has taken on new meaning. "You just don't want to let them down. You want to continue what they started and be able to pass it on," he says.

Learning and growing

Logan first interacted with ISA through on-farm research trials through ISA's Research Center for Farming Innovation. They explored various rates of hog manure and anhydrous ammonia, hoping to discover the most optimal rate - one that wouldn't sacrifice the essential crop nutrients.

"We're looking at ROI - what's the least amount we can apply while still maintaining yields?" he says. "We don't want to overapply because that costs money and can harm the soil."

Other on-farm research trials explored planting rye following manure application, which yielded neutral results due to a late fall application. He's interested in future on-farm trials regarding fungicides and insecticides.

Marketing and managing

As Brooke continues to discover the rates and research that can benefit his growing crop, he's also interested in how he can better market the grain he harvests. Participating in the Al Kluis Grain Trading Academy through the Iowa Soybean Association provided valuable insights for marketing his grain, Brooke says.

"I'm not much of a marketer," he says, "but anything I can do to learn helps."

A major takeaway from the academy was learning how to read and use historical commodity charts to inform marketing decisions.

"It's pretty interesting to read those charts and where they think crops are going to top out and bottom out and see how it played out," Brooke says.

Because of this program offering from ISA, he now understands how historical charts can provide insights into past price trends, allowing farmers the opportunity to assess future returns and planting and harvest decisions. He gained a better understanding of the tools farmers can use - like hedges - to market their grain even several years out.

"When the prices are high, consider selling three to four years in advance," Brooke says. "Hedging can help manage the downside risk."

Delivering opportunity

As Brooke navigates his own path through farming, he has a better understanding of the offerings available as an ISA Farmer Member.

"The benefit is the opportunities - the emails, the events, the ability to learn more and do better on our farm and in our business," he says. "I wouldn't have had that otherwise."

Through his dad's involvement in the association, he's also learned about how checkoff dollars are used to generate returns for farmers through increased demand for their soybeans.

"It's kind of wild how much they (farmer directors) do," Brooke says. "I had no idea until Dad got involved."

Written by Bethany Baratta.

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