This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Way We Live Award at the Iowa State Fair. To highlight the anniversary, 10 farm families were chosen based on their dedication to agriculture and their strong Iowa farm values. The following includes parts of the Way We Live award nomination letter for the John and Jodi Koop Family of Kamrar, Iowa.
kAmpD 2 E9:C5\86?6C2E:@? 72C>6C[ y@9? z@@A 3682? 9:D 28C:4F=EFC2= 42C66C H@C<:?8 2E E96 =@42= 4@\@A :? z2>C2C 2?5 4@?E:?F65 E@ 96=A 9:D 72E96C 72C>] w6 3682? 9:D =:G6DE@4< @A6C2E:@? 3J C2:D:?8 76656C A:8D 2?5 AFC492D65 c_ 24C6D @7 =2?5 @77 @7 9:D 8C2?572E96C’D 6DE2E6 D2=6]k^Am
kAmx? `hhd[ H96? y@9? 2?5 y@5: 3682? 4@?EC24E:?8 E9C@F89 |FCA9J u2C>D[ E96J AFE FA E96:C 7:CDE E9C66\32C?\ b[b__\9625 42A24:EJ 7:?:D9:?8 D:E6] %96J H6C6 23=6 E@ 3F:=5 2? 255:E:@?2= c[c__ 9625 D:E6 :? a_`d 2?5 A2CE?6C65 H:E9 $>:E97:6=5] %96 z@@AD 2=D@ 92G6 d_ 4@>>6C4:2= 4@HD 2?5 >2C<6E E96:C 76656C 42EE=6 6G6CJ 72==]k^Am
kAmy@5: H@C<D 7F==\E:>6 2E |4u2C=2?5 w62=E9 r=:?:4 2D 2 C68:DE6C65 ?FCD6]k^Am
kAmy@9? 2?5 y@5: 92G6 366? >2CC:65 7@C bb J62CD 2?5 92G6 7@FC 49:=5C6?] %96:C @=56DE[ y@9? yC][ :D >2CC:65 E@ r2CC:6 2?5 E96J 92G6 @?6 D@?[$2HJ6C[ 2?5 H6C6 6IA64E:?8 2?@E96C] %96 z@@A’D 52F89E6C[ p>2?52[ 2?5 96C 9FD32?5[ %C2G:D[ =:G6 4=@D6 E@ E96 72>:=J 72C> 2?5 92G6 EH@ <:5D[ r@??@C 2?5 p=2J?2]k^Am
kAmz6=D6J[ 2 C68:DE6C65 ?FCD6[ :D >2CC:65 E@ p==2?] y@6J[ E96 J@F?86DE[ :D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E96 52J\E@\52J >2?286>6?E @7 E96 =:G6DE@4< 96C5 2?5 724:=:E:6D]k^Am
kAmq6:?8 :?G@=G65 :? E96 72C>:?8 @A6C2E:@? DE2CE65 2E 2 J@F?8 286 7@C 2== E96 49:=5C6?[ 368:??:?8 H:E9 C:5:?8 :? E96 EC24E@CD H:E9 y@9? 2?5 96=A:?8 H:E9 E96 76656C A:8D] p== E96 z@@A <:5D H6C6 :?G@=G65 H:E9 c\w 2?5 uup[ D9@H:?8 =:G6DE@4< 2E E96 4@F?EJ 2?5 DE2E6 =6G6=D] xE H2D :>A6C2E:G6 E92E E96J =62C? 23@FE 36:?8 42C6E2<6CD[ 2D H6== 2D E96 7:?2?4:2= :>A24ED H9:=6 C2:D:?8 E96:C =:G6DE@4< AC@;64ED] pD E96J 8@E @=56C[ E96J H6C6 2DD:8?65 52:=J 49@C6D 2?5 2=H2JD 96=A65 H:E9 E96 =@25:?8 2?5 F?=@25:?8 @7 E96 A:8D 2?5 42EE=6]k^Am
kAmy@9? 92D D6CG65 @? E96 w2>:=E@? r@F?EJ u2:C q@2C5 7@C @G6C a_ J62CD] y@9? 2?5 y@5: 2C6 u2C> qFC62F 2?5 r@>>F?:EJ r9FC49 >6>36CD]k^Am
kAmy@9? C6>6>36CD 72C>:?8 36:?8 >2:?=J >2?F2= =23@C] }@H252JD[ 6G6CJE9:?8 92D 364@>6 2FE@>2E65] %96 z@@AD 2C6 2=H2JD =@@<:?8 2E 9@H E649?@=@8J 42? 4@?E:?F6 E@ 96=A E96:C @A6C2E:@?D 364@>6 >@C6 677:4:6?E]k^Am
kAmx? E96:C C@H 4C@AD[ E96J FD6 E96 =2E6DE E649?@=@8J E@ >@?:E@C 6G6CJ A2DD 24C@DD E96 7:6=5D[ EC24<:?8 E96:C :?AFE 2AA=:42E:@?D 2?5 4C@A C6>@G2= @7 ?FEC:6?ED] %9:D 96=AD E96> FD6 >2?FC6 7C@> E96 9@8 724:=:E:6D >@C6 677:4:6?E=J[ 2D E96J 2AA=J H96C6 :E’D ?66565 E96 >@DE 2?5 E96? DFAA=6>6?E H:E9 4@>>6C4:2= 76CE:=:K6C]k^Am
kAm%649?@=@8J :D FE:=:K65 :? E96 9@8 32C?D 2D H6==[ FD:?8 4@>AFE6CD E@ <66A E96 6?G:C@?>6?E 4@>7@CE23=6] x7 E96C6 :D 2? :DDF6 H:E9:? E96 32C?D[ E96J 2C6 ?@E:7:65 G:2 E96 FA52E65 2=2C> DJDE6>] %96D6 677:4:6?4:6D 96=A E96> >2?286 E96:C E:>6 H:E9 E96 >F=E:A=6 D:E6D]k^Am
kAmy@9? DE2E6D E96 E9C66 E9:?8D 96 =@G6D >@DE 23@FE 72C>:?8 2C6 36:?8 9:D @H? 3@DD[ H2E49:?8 E96 4C@AD 8C@H 2?5 H@C<:?8 E@86E96C 2D 2 72>:=J] (@C< 6E9:4 :D H92E 9:D A2C6?ED E2F89E 9:> 8C@H:?8 FA[ 2?5 96 766=D E96J 92G6 :?DE:==65 E92E :?E@ 2== @7 E96:C 49:=5C6?]k^Am
