By Sydney Bentz
From helping local farmers harvest as a teenager to entering a crop-sharing agreement with a high school friend’s family, James Hepp is earning accolades for his farming work and contributions to his community.
In December, Hepp, of Rockwell City, Iowa, was one of three individuals to receive the 2024 Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Leadership Award in recognition of farmers, ages 18 to 35, who actively contribute to their communities and demonstrate leadership within their county Farm Bureau and other groups.
He also was one of four finalists for the 2024 Iowa Leopold Conservation Award, which honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
“Receiving the recognition from the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa Leopold Conservation Award is a big deal,” Hepp said. “I was really shocked when I got the call for both awards. I have really big shoes to fill, and I have just begun on my journey towards profitable, conservation-minded farming.”
Hepp’s grandfather farmed but sold his property outside the family around the time Hepp was born. So Hepp’s passion for the industry and goal to become a farmer himself were solidified when he joined FFA in junior high and began helping local farmers with their harvesting.
Eventually, Hepp enrolled at Northwest, attracted to its agriculture business program and the size of Maryville, which reminded him of Rockwell City. He also was drawn to the one-on-one opportunities with faculty and small class sizes. He joined the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and developed a network of individuals with whom he still connects.
“I feel like I would’ve missed out on a lot if I was only an hour away from home,” Hepp said. “I probably would’ve been home a lot more. I really liked the size of the campus.”
After graduating from Northwest in 2013, Hepp began his career as a crop insurance adjuster, first in Missouri and then in Iowa. Still wishing for a life in the field, though, he filled gaps in his insurance work by helping friends with corn and bean crops and cow-calf operations.
“That’s where I really got hooked on farming,” Hepp said, noting he likes to stay busy. “With crop adjusting, some weeks you would work 60 to 80 hours. Then, some weeks you’d go two weeks with nothing to do. That drove me crazy.”
Then, Hepp got a call from a high school friend who noticed his determination to farm. The friend’s father was nearing retirement and looking for someone to help on their farm. Hepp started crop sharing with the family, maintaining 80 acres of corn and 80 acres of soybeans.
The agreement allowed Hepp to experiment with conservation and management practices. Within a few years, 1,400 acres were transferred to Hepp and he now farms soybeans, corn, rye and oats on the property. Hepp purchased the family’s equipment and facilities. The family even sold their house to Hepp so he could live on the farm and start a family of his own.
Hepp takes a not-so-common approach to tilling and planting by using one tractor and eliminating the need to invest in multiple tractors. By strip-tilling, he can broadcast nutrients exactly where the corn will grow, saving money on fertilizer. He also seeds cover crops on his land to improve weed control.
Hepp uses social media as an outlet to share his practices and the ways they benefit him and his family.
“I did it out of necessity because I didn’t want to have the big tractor. Plus, it’s the right thing to do,” Hepp said. “I hate seeing the ditches full of dirt. There’s right and wrong. I feel like we need to make sure the land is as good or better when we’re done with it.”
Outside of farming, Hepp works as a crop insurance agent and operates his own agency. In 2020, Hepp married Paige Volkens, a 2017 Northwest alumna, and the couple has two young sons.
He makes time to help his community too. He just finished his third year as president of the Calhoun County Farm Bureau, serves on the corn growers board and is a trustee for his township. He has volunteered at his local fire department since he was 19. He also serves as commissioner of the Calhoun County Soil and Water Conservation District.
In recognition of his Young Farmer Leadership Award, the Iowa Farm Bureau is providing a $2,000 community grant to a local nonprofit, and Hepp has directed it to the Hometown Heroes Memorial Ride in Rockwell City, which honors public safety professionals killed in the line of duty.
For Hepp, the recognition gives him credibility and demonstrates that his unique farming practices work.
“In the first couple years I have made great strides,” Hepp said. “I look forward to seeing what the future has in store. I’m excited to use these awards to help educate other farmers and get the word out to not be afraid to try different ways – never stop learning or trying.”
Source : nwmissouri.edu