A north-central Iowa woman has won the Midwest title of America’s Farm Mom of the Year. April Hemmes of Hampton was selected as one of five regional winners nationwide in recognition of the contributions she makes to her family, farm community and the ag industry.
Hemmes explains how she was chosen for the honor. “My daughter, who’s 16, nominated me,” Hemmes says. “It originally started with a letter in the mail from a neighbor and fellow farm mom who said, ‘You need to nominate your mom, Ruth,’ so I just told her what I was in, she wrote up the nomination and I got it!”
Hemmes’ husband works “in town” and she runs the farm, growing corn, beans and hay and raising 35 head of cattle. Hemmes learned about the big honor a few days ago from officials with the contest’s sponsor, Monsanto.
She says, “I had had a very bad morning as some mornings go and it was rainy and I wasn’t done planting beans and I was taking cows out to pasture and I got this phone call and I literally had to stop in the road because I couldn’t believe it.”
Hemmes wins $5000 for being named a regional winner, money she says will go into her daughter’s college fund. Online voters can chose from among the five regional winners to name a single national winner who will win another $2500.
The deadline to vote online is Thursday, May 26 at www.AmericasFarmers.com.
Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City