Ian and Val Plagge named Outstanding Young Farmers

A Franklin County family in February was recognized for its success in and contributions to the agriculture industry.
Ian and Val Plagge, who farm in the Coulter, Alexander and Latimer area, were chosen as one of the Top 10 Outstanding Young Farmers in the country. They were also inducted into the Outstanding Farmers of America in February at the National Congress in Sacramento.
Val said Kelvin Leibold, Iowa State Extension Farm Management Specialist, nominated the Plagges for the award. Requirements for the award stated that recipients must be 40 years old or younger and derive a minimum two-thirds of their in-come from farming.
"The award looks at pro-gress of a farming career, the extend of soil and water con-servation practices and contri-butions to the nominee's community, state and nation," she said.
The Plagges manage corn and soybean acres in the area and also own two feeder to finish pig barns. They farm parallel with Roy, Ian's fa-ther, with whom they also share equipment.
Read the full story in the March 7 edition.