(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / Joclyn Kuboushek)
Iowa conservation leader recognized for service to soybean farmers
May 29, 2025 | Brock Johnston
The American Soybean Association (ASA) recognized Roger Wolf with its Distinguished Leadership Award during an awards ceremony at the 2025 Commodity Classic in Denver, CO.
The ASA Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes a soybean grower or association staff leader who has shown a high level of dedication and successfully led others to meet goals and achieve successes to benefit soybean farmers.
Wolf, who recently retired as director of conservation for the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), has been an advocate for soybean farmers for 25 years. He was one of the ISA's first conservation hires for the association's Research Center for Farming Innovation.
In his former ISA role, Wolf assembled an extensive network of professionals dedicated to serving Iowa farmers and delivering on big ideas. Through his work creating, developing and overseeing farmer-focused programs and services, Wolf has helped advance the sustainability of soybean farmers — providing them with tools and systems that generate data-driven, environmental solutions.
"I always think about what’s my favorite thing to do, and that's to build out programs with a vision and get a lot of different people and partners involved, securing funding and start hiring people," says Wolf.
Wolf's visionary leadership and innovative ideas have increased productivity, profitability and sustainability for soybean farmers in Iowa and other soybean-growing states. He played a critical role in developing the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF), an outcomes-based financial incentive program for farmers implementing conservation practices. He helped spearhead programs like the Front 40, a platform for Iowa's conservation-minded farmers, and Agriculture's Clean Water Alliance (ACWA), a non-profit association of ag retailers and support companies across Iowa that helps farmers improve their agronomic performance while supporting environmental improvement efforts. As executive director for ACWA, he led the expansion from one watershed to a large-scale water quality initiative.
"To be a leader you need supporters, and I want to express my deepest appreciation to my family, my friends, whose unwavering support and encouragement have been the driving force behind my career journey," added Wolf.
To learn more about the award, visit soygrowers.org. Learn more about the Iowa Soybean Association by visiting iasoybeans.com.
Written by Brock Johnston.
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