Honoring the Brooke family's commitment to land, livestock and community

May 1, 2026 | Bethany Baratta

Lee Brooke took a moment to scan the crowd gathered in his machine shop near Clarinda. In the 46 years since his professional farming career began, this one was near the top — though slightly embarrassing.

“It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do — to invite people to our own recognition,” he says, blushing.

His shop was converted to an on-farm events center, filled with family, friends and neighbors there to celebrate the occasion.

The Brooke family was awarded the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award for their efforts in caring for their livestock, their environment and their community — and even Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig was there to recognize the family.

Lee began his farming career out of high school in 1980, when he bought 20 cows. Today he farms alongside his wife, Darla; their son, Logan; Logan’s wife, Annie, an agricultural education teacher in Stanton; and their son, Lawson. Lee and Darla also have two daughters: Bailey Clubb, her husband Cody, and their children Bowen and Raylee of Clarinda, and Leah Carlson and her husband Josh of Red Oak.

Legacy of care

Farming has been a tradition on the Brooke farm since it was homesteaded in 1869. Although some of that ground left the family in the 1970s, Lee and Darla were able to repurchase it in 1998, reconnecting it with a Heritage Farm originally deeded in 1869. That Heritage Farm is owned by Lee’s mother, Marnice Brooke, and is farmed by Lee, with Logan and his family residing on the acreage.

“Doing things right — it’s not always easy, … but I’m proud of it,” he says.

He’s referring to the labor that he and the six generations on the farm have put into conserving and preserving the precious soil and water resources that were founded here by his family. Today, they raise 250 spring-calving beef cows, finishing cattle, replacement heifers and wean-to-finish hogs. The family also grows soybeans, corn, hay and maintains pasture acres across Page and Taylor Counties.

“Being a good farm neighbor means more than what happens in the field or the barn, and the Brooke Family clearly understands that,” Naig says. “They are good neighbors in every sense of the word, caring for their livestock, utilizing conservation, and staying actively engaged in their community and agricultural organizations. Their stewardship and involvement strengthen both their local community and Iowa agriculture. I am pleased to present them with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”

The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award, sponsored by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and WHO Radio, recognizes farmers who are committed to doing things right on their farms and in their communities. Since the program’s launch, more than 200 farm families have been awarded this honor.

Technology and innovation

The family has embraced technology and innovation on the farm, utilizing precision technology to apply fertilizer and plant seeds. They’ve worked with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) to conduct research trials on their farm.

For the past 30 years, the family has no-tilled their row-crop acres. All owned cropland is fully tiled and terraced, and nearly all rented ground has received similar conservation improvements in close coordination with landlords.

Rye and triticale cover crops are planted in the fall and chopped in the spring for cattle feed ahead of soybean planting. Several hundred acres of rye and turnips are flown or drilled into cornstalks to provide fall and winter grazing for cattle. The family still plans to expand their use of cover crops.

The family works closely with a nutritionist to test feedstuffs, manage inventories, and maintain detailed daily feeding records to ensure consistency, according to IDALS. They also maintain Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) and Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) certifications and partner closely with their veterinarian on vaccination and animal health protocols. Their cattle hoop building was among the first constructed in Page County using Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and state low-interest loan programs.

Partnerships and participation are important to the family. Lee is serving his fifth year on the ISA board, where he previously served as treasurer and now serves as president-elect. His past service includes the Page County Cattlemen board, the Page County Farm Service Agency Committee, the Iowa-Nebraska regional Land O’Lakes Board, the Southwest Regional Water District Board, a local cooperative board and leadership roles at Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Son Logan understands the value of the family’s farming legacy.

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

Now living on the original homestead, he feels a deep connection to the generations who came before him. As he and wife Annie welcomed their first child nine months ago, 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.”

About the Award

Longtime WHO farm broadcaster Gary Wergin was tired of the headlines villainizing farmers. The bad news was overshadowing the thousands of farmers in Iowa doing things right in the countryside. So, he created the Helping Hands Award, recognizing farmers — usually surprising them on their farm — for their efforts in their community and on their farm.

After Wergin passed away suddenly in 2004, the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers partnered with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and WHO Radio to continue to recognize farmers. They renamed the award to the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to honor Wergin. “It personified Gary and his approach to life,” says Bob Quinn, WHO farm broadcaster, who worked with Wergin and helps host each of the award celebrations. “If anyone should get a good farm neighbor award, it should be him.”

Written by Bethany Baratta.

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