Secretary Naig Honors Dwight Dial with Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award

03-29-2022 in Article

DES MOINES, Iowa (March 29, 2022) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig presented the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to Dwight Dial, a pork and lamb producer and row crop farmer in Calhoun County, on Thursday, March 31 at the Lake City Community Memorial Building.

“Since Dwight Dial started farming in 1978, he has worked to make his operation more sustainable for future generations through the implementation of conservation practices,” said Secretary Naig. “Dwight is a great example of someone who takes pride in caring for his pigs and sheep, while recognizing the importance of caring for his land and being involved in his local community, making him a deserving recipient of the award.”

For forty years, Dwight Dial farmed alongside his parents, wife and two sons. Today, he continues to manage his wean-to-finish hog operation, commercial ewe flock and row crop operation with help from his brother-in-law and a neighbor.

Conservation has always been top-of-mind for Dwight. To leave the land in better condition than he found it, Dwight has transitioned his corn and soybean fields to 100% no-till and has implemented cover crops, grassed waterways and terraces. He has also increased organic matter and sequestered carbon by applying hog manure to his ground. Dwight has farmland enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Farm to River Partnership, Soil Health Partnership (SHP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

In addition to Dwight’s focus on environmental stewardship, the well-being of each animal is of utmost importance and where his love of farming started. From selling feeder pigs to growing home-raised hogs and now contract finishing for Alliger Farms, Dwight’s operation has evolved over the years, but his devotion to quality animal care has remained steadfast.

When not working on the farm, Dwight helps organize the Calhoun County Sheep Producers and Iowa Sheep Industry Association. He represented Region III on the American Sheep Industry Association’s first executive board from 1989 to 1993 and became an Iowa Master Lamb Producer in 1994. Dwight serves on the Stewart Memorial Community Hospital Patient Advisory Board, Lake City Historic Central School Board and the Lake City Community Memorial Building Board of Directors. He is actively involved in Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award is made possible by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers. This award recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who take pride in caring for the environment, their livestock and being good neighbors. It is named in memory of Gary Wergin, a long-time WHO Radio farm broadcaster who helped create the award.

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About the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Led by Secretary Mike Naig, the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship serves the rural and urban residents that call Iowa home. Through its 12 diverse bureaus, the Department ensures animal health, food safety and consumer protection. It also promotes conservation efforts to preserve our land for the next generation. Learn more at iowaagriculture.gov.

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