Meet Iowa Soybean Association's New President Lee Brooke

November 2, 2026 | Bethany Baratta

More than 15 decades ago, Lee Brooke’s ancestors established the family’s roots in the rolling hills of southwest Iowa. Generations later, Brooke carries on the family tradition and the commitment to making the land better for the sixth generation and beyond.

He’s spent 46 years discovering that the true foundations of a farm—soil, family and resilience—are forged over decades of weather, hard times and perseverance.

Now, as the newly elected president of the Iowa Soybean Association, Brooke steps into a one-year term leading more than 37,000 soybean growers across the state.

“It feels a little unreal to me—a very humbling experience,” Brooke reflects. “It’s quite an honor to say that I’m the president of the Iowa Soybean Association.”

Roots and stewardship

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, he and wife Darla repurchased 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 son Logan and his family residing on the acreage. Today, a growing circle of grandchildren from Lee and Darla’s three children promises a seventh generation for the family legacy.

Brooke’s journey began in 1980, fresh out of high school with 20 head of cattle, farming alongside his father through the 1980s farm crisis. Watching topsoil wash away after heavy rains during his youth sparked an early turning point.

“I remember thinking and saying to my dad, ‘We’ve got to change something, or there’ll be nothing left for me,’ ” Brooke recalls.

That moment forged a lifelong commitment to conservation. More than 30 years ago, Brooke spearheaded the move to total no-till farming and constructed terraces. Today, the operation integrates cover crops like cereal rye and triticale and hosts on-farm research trials with ISA.

A modern family operation

Working daily alongside Logan and full-time employee Trevor Hughes, Brooke relies on variable-rate technology for planting and fertilizer placement. The operation spans 250 beef cows, finishing cattle, replacement heifers and wean-to-finish hogs.

“Logan’s been farming since high school,” Brooke says. “We work together every day. I couldn’t do this ISA presidency without Logan and Trevor—I wouldn’t be able to be gone as much as I am.”

Logan embraces that shared heritage every day on the farm alongside his wife, Annie, and their young son, Lawson.

Brooke’s wife, Darla, a retired teacher and former Extension employee, pitches in on the farm and joins him on the road, while daughters Bailey Clubb and Leah Carlson live nearby with their families. Together, the family’s devotion to stewardship earned them the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.

Guiding the Iowa Soybean Association

Brooke’s pathway to involvement with the Iowa Soybean Association began over conversations with neighbor and late former ISA President Bill Shipley. Now in his fifth year on the ISA board, Brooke brings a lifetime of service to the role, including serving as president of the Southwest Iowa Regional Water District and on the Page County Cattlemen, local FSA Committee and Land O’Lakes boards.

As he takes the helm at ISA, Brooke keeps his sight fixed on key priorities for growers:

Biofuels and Renewable Energy:

• Advocating for clear policy around renewable fuels, including guidance on 45Z, to build robust demand for soybean oil.

Trade and Export Markets:

• Safeguarding free trade agreements and building direct relationships with international buyers.

Domestic Utilization:

• Unlocking new domestic processing opportunities and industrial uses for soybean meal and oil.

When speaking with fellow growers, Brooke enthusiastically highlights the tangible impact of the soybean checkoff:

“Getting involved opened my eyes to the incredible return on our investment,” Brooke says.

“Once you see the big picture, you realize how much is being accomplished with every dollar. We have dedicated experts fighting for us in ways we couldn’t do individually—expanding foreign markets, funding breakthrough research and driving market demand. Having Iowa Soybean stand up for us gives growers a real advantage.”

As he prepares for a busy year ahead, Brooke invites farmers to get to know more about ISA and its efforts in Des Moines and Washington, D.C.

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions or come to meetings,” Brooke says. “There’s a lot of good information to be had, and it’s a great way to learn about what’s going on in the world.”

Written by Bethany Baratta.

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