Dennis and Patty Staudt

The 160-acre in Floyd County where Dennis and Patty Staudt raise corn and soybeans has been farmed by Staudts since 1877. When Dennis took over from his father in 1981, both he and Patty (formerly Heithoff) had been math teachers in Fort Dodge. Their love of math transferred well to a joy in finding efficiencies on his farm. Similarly, his Catholic faith informs his desire to leave the land better than when he began farming.

To protect the soil and water resources on his farm and surrounding it, Dennis practices ridge-till—which is uniquely suited to his area of the state—as well as cover crops. Additionally, he has areas of restored prairie and is experimenting with perennial plantings on the edges of his fields. Patty—who was raised on a farm in southwest Iowa—is also a Master Gardener and has a small apple orchard.

A central hope of Dennis’ is for family farms to continue to thrive in Iowa, which doesn’t always require a huge number of acres. At the same time, he acknowledges the difficulty new farmers face when they begin their operations, even when they have capital in their family. Regarding the value of small farms, Dennis affirmed “If you can be the owner of a small farm and have everything at stake, then you have a little more skin in the game. It becomes a little more yours.”

Building a Culture of Conservation: 

“This is not my land. This is land that I am privileged to use and maintain for a few years, here on this earth. And when I’m done doing that, it’s my duty to have that land just as good as when I started if not better.”

Contact Information

Dennis and Patty Staudt
2530 Jersey Ave
Marble Rock, IA 50653
641-220-0556
densta@myomnitel.com