(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / Joclyn Kuboushek)
Rural Route 2: The double duty of a farmer-veteran
November 2, 2026 | Bethany Baratta
Nearly 50 million people are expected to travel to the Washington, D.C., area this year, driven in part by the 250th celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Though the stone memorials, monuments and museums are a must-see, you don’t have to travel to the nation’s capital to appreciate the country’s founding. The true backbone of our country lies within the soil—nurtured and protected by a unique group of Americans who are farmers and veterans.
That’s 0.09% of the U.S. population, according to the 2022 U.S. Census.
I’m lucky to have been raised by one of them. My father served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam and returned to the farm after his service to our country.
Iowa farmer veterans
As we celebrate Veterans Day this month, I’m reflecting on the Iowa soybean farmers who are also veterans. Farmers like Morey Hill, who led his platoon in preparation for Vietnam, and Don Latham, who committed to being a pilot in the Army—a good fit for the farmer who always wanted to fly.
Jack Boyer was studying engineering at Oklahoma State University when his draft number was called, taking him into service before he eventually returned home to the soil.
Lane Volkert, a member of the Iowa Air National Guard, was crew chief on a fighter jet. Aaron White was at boot camp in California when the 9/11 terrorist attacks dictated his Marine company’s eventual deployment to Afghanistan.
These farmer-veterans are part of the 0.36% of the Iowa population who have worn both combat boots and chore boots. They’re proud Americans who have protected the land we call home and the soil in which they now raise crops and livestock to provide us the food and products we enjoy.
They have each said—in their own way—that farming has given them a sense of duty and purpose after hanging up their fatigues. Their military training prepared them with the readiness and resilience that each duty bestows.
As we mark two and a half centuries of freedom, we owe a special kind of gratitude to those who have worn the uniform and now work the fields. Thanks, Dad, Morey, Don, Jack, Lane, Aaron and all those who have pulled this kind of double duty for our country. You remind us that patriotism isn’t just found in historical documents in D.C.—it’s lived, season after season, in service to our country and the land we call home.
Written by Bethany Baratta.
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