DES MOINES, Iowa (Jan. 7, 2026) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig will present the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to the Lee and Darla Brooke Family of Page County during a ceremony on Friday, Jan. 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Brooke family farm near Clarinda.
Lee Brooke began his farming career out of high school in 1980, building an operation that is now multi-generational. Today he farms alongside his wife, Darla; their son, Logan; Logan’s wife, Annie, an agricultural education teacher in Stanton; and their five-month-old son, Lawson. Lee and Darla also have two daughters: Bailey Clubb, her husband Cody, and their children Bowen (7) and Raylee (5) of Clarinda, and Leah Carlson and her husband Josh of Red Oak.
The diversified crop and livestock operation includes approximately 250 spring-calving beef cows, a cattle finishing hoop building, replacement heifers, and a 2,499-head wean-to-finish hog facility. They also raise corn, soybeans, hay, and maintain pasture acres across Page and Taylor Counties. Additionally, Logan operates his own farming enterprise.
Their agricultural roots run deep, with the family farming land that was originally 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, age 91, and is farmed by Lee, with Logan and his family residing on the acreage.
“Being a good farm neighbor means more than what happens in the field or the barn, and Brooke Family clearly understand that,” said Secretary Naig. “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.”
Environmental stewardship has long been a priority, particularly given the rolling, erosion-prone ground common to southwest Iowa. They use precision technology to optimally apply fertilizer and plant seed. They have practiced 100 percent no-till on their row-crop acres for the last 3 decades. All owned cropland is fully tiled and terraced, and nearly all rented ground has received similar conservation improvements in close coordination with landlords. They utilize cover crops with rye and triticale 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 plans to continue expanding the use of cover crops.
Animal care and innovation is a central focus of the operation. The family works closely with a nutritionist to test feedstuffs, manage inventories, and maintain detailed daily feeding records to ensure consistency. 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 EQIP and state low-interest loan programs.
Lee Brooke is deeply involved in agricultural leadership and community service. He is beginning his fifth year on the Iowa Soybean Association 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 FSA 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.
The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award is made possible through a partnership with the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF), The Big Show on WHO Radio, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Now in its 22nd year, the award recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who take pride in caring for the environment and their livestock while also being good neighbors and community leaders
