When Rose and Mike Roelf purchased 45 acres of farmland from Rose’s mother in 2014, they had a vision: to repair the land, rebuild the soil, address food insecurity and create land access for a new generation of community-conscious farmers.
Today, their land represents the budding of that vision. Located near Iowa City, Iowa, the farmland currently hosts two beginning farm businesses—Rainbow Roots Farm, a certified organic farm operated by Corbin Scholtz, and Radical Patch Farm, a cooperative operated by Joe Klingelhutz, Ilsa Dewald and Will Kresse—that are raising food for the local community.
The farm also has an extensive conservation plan; boasts an abundance of wildlife—and is serving as a model for how farmland owners can use their land to build a more diverse, sustainable and inclusive farm landscape in Iowa. The couple’s commitment to land access, conservation and long-term sustainability—as well as the thoughtful planning Rose and Mike have engaged in to guide their decision-making—led to their selection by Practical Farmers of Iowa’s board of directors as the 2021 recipients of the Farmland Owner Legacy Award.
The award is granted annually by PFI to landowners who use their land to help the next generation get started, advance land stewardship and promote long-term sustainability of farm businesses, environmental quality and rural communities. The award also highlights the important role non-operator farmland owners can play in the future success of sustainable agriculture.
