Secretary Naig Honors Travis Family with Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award

Beef and pork producers from Union County recognized for outstanding leadership in agriculture

DES MOINES, Iowa (Mar. 9, 2022) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today presented the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to the Travis family, owners of Travis Feeders located in Creston, Iowa. The operation is run by Dave and Jean Travis along with their son Curtis, his wife Chelsea and daughters Chanelle and Stella. Tony Keeler is also an employee and important part of Travis Feeders.

“The Travis family practices high standards of animal care and environmental stewardship, and extensive community involvement making them great Iowa agriculture leaders,” said Secretary Naig. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to improving soil health and water quality. The Travis family has implemented a variety of conservation practices that work best for their land and will help preserve it for future generations. It is an honor to present them with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”

Travis Feeders includes row crop and hay ground, as well as a cow-calf, finishing feedlot and hog operation. They also own and train Border Collies for competitions and have reached national finals on several occasions.

To combat soil erosion and prevent nutrient losses, Curtis uses buffer strips, tile intakes and terraces across their farmland. Their family farm is predominantly no-till, and they use the cattle and hog manure to improve soil organic matter in their fields, decreasing the use of commercial fertilizers.

In addition to their focus on environmental stewardship, the well-being of each animal is of utmost importance. Travis Feeders are Pork Quality Assurance Plus certified through JBS and are working to become Beef Quality Assurance certified through Greater Omaha Packing. They use a tracking program from Iowa State University to monitor cattle feed intake and ensure quality welfare too.

The Travis’s understand the importance of not only tending to their land and livestock, but also being involved in their community. Chelsea spends time volunteering at a local LifeCare Clinic, and the family is actively involved in the First Baptist Church in town.

The Travis family was nominated for the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award by a family friend, Rusty Zimmerman.

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.