Iowa Master Farmer honorees listed from 1926 through 2026.

The Iowa Master Farmer Class of 2026 includes four new winners and two Exceptional Service to Agriculture honorees, joining a list of recipients that began in 1926 when Henry A. Wallace created the award to recognize farm management and community involvement.

The Iowa Master Farmer awards are selected each year by Wallaces Farmer and the Iowa Master Farmer Association to recognize farmers for farm management and community involvement. The Class of 2026 adds four new winners and two recipients of the Exceptional Service to Agriculture award. The program traces back to 1926, when Henry A. Wallace initiated the honor. The awards were not presented in several years for economic and wartime reasons and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notable details: - The Class of 2026 includes four new Master Farmer winners and two Exceptional Service to Agriculture awardees. - The award was established in 1926 by Henry A. Wallace to honor outstanding farm management and involvement in family and community. - No awards were given in 1932–37, 1942–45, 1962 (a combined class in 1962–63), and 2021, attributed in the article to the Great Depression, World War II, the combined class, and the COVID-19 pandemic. - An asterisk next to a listed name denotes the Exceptional Service to Agriculture honor. - The article notes that nominations for the next class use an application form and that forms are due by Sept. 18. Summary: This compilation highlights a long-running recognition of farm management and community service across generations. The 2026 class adds recent honorees to that lineage. Nominations for the next class are processed via an application form, with materials due by Sept. 18.