ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa — Serving their community has always been a priority for Keith and Barb Sexton.

In addition to farming 1,300 acres and raising three boys, the north central Iowa couple found time to be part of a host of organizations throughout their marriage.

No matter what is going on at their Allamakee County farm, the Wild family will always have helpers.

They could be baling hay, taking a ride on a side-by-side around the farm or getting basic chores done, and family will be around. That's what makes life special.

WAYLAND, Iowa — While their immediate family is young, Jared and Tawnya Achen know how important it is to build a strong household.

The Wayland, Iowa, couple have three children, Brecken, Tenley and Nixon, and Jared is a fourth-generation farmer who is passionate about his work. Passing that along to their children helped them earn recognition as one of the Way We Live award recipients this year. The award is presented annually at the Iowa State Fair. Iowa Farmer Today is one of the sponsors.

MT. PLEASANT, Iowa — Running the farm keeps the McArtor family busy throughout the year, and with plenty of livestock around, getting away isn’t always easy. That’s why they make the Iowa State Fair their annual family vacation.

It’s close enough to their Mt. Pleasant farm, and through their involvement with 4-H, they often have plenty of reasons to be there.

WATERLOO, Iowa — Two themes are clear when you visit Ron and Mary Esther Pullin’s small farm at the edge of town: sheep and fairs. It’s been that way for nearly a century.

The Pullin family raised sheep long before Ron was born 83 years ago. In 1926 they bought their first registered Hampshire sheep to add to their existing herd. At one time they had a 300-head flock of Hampshire and commercial ewes. They showed sheep in several different state fairs every year for decades and have shown at the Iowa State Fair almost every year since 1926.

BRANDON, Iowa — When the news came, it was a shock for Craig Albert.

“We just couldn’t believe it,” Albert said. “You don’t expect something like that.”

EXIRA, Iowa — In the early 1880s, Anders Sorensen settled near here in the rolling hills of Audubon County.

Nearly 140 years later, his descendants still farm these hills, but with one difference.