Plagge Farm in Iowa: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Plagge Farm in Latimer, Franklin County, farms 4,000 acres of corn, soybeans and food-grade oats and raises 10,000 hogs. Landon and Anne Plagge received the 2025 Iowa Leopold Conservation Award and earlier an Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achievement Award. Scale and awards place it among Iowa's elite family operations.
| Location | Latimer, Franklin County, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Founded | Not published in sources reviewed |
| Sectors | Corn; soybeans; food-grade oats; hogs; cattle grazing |
| Scale | 4,000 acres and 10,000 hogs, per Sand County Foundation |
| Why it is elite | 2025 Iowa Leopold Conservation Award; Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achievement Award |
| Ownership | Family, Landon and Anne Plagge |
| Official website | Sand County Foundation 2025 Leopold Conservation Award announcement |
History of Plagge Farm
Landon Plagge has a business administration degree, and Anne is an assistant professor of family services at the University of Northern Iowa and a former public health official. The couple built the operation into a 4,000-acre row-crop and hog farm.
Their community work stands out. When Latimer lost its only grocery store, they bought, remodeled and reopened it, later handing ownership to a community board. They also helped organize a $55 million oat milling facility in southern Minnesota with 105 other farmer-owners, set to open in 2026.
What Plagge Farm Grows and Raises
The farm has been no-till for over a decade, uses diverse rotations and cover crops, and relies on manure from its 10,000 hogs for fertility to reduce chemical fertilizer and herbicide use. Neighboring farmers graze cattle on their fields.
Oats joined corn and soybeans as a third cash crop. The Plagges also started Green Acres Seed Co. in 2020 for soil health consulting, crop rotation and cover crop planning. Practical Farmers of Iowa has hosted a field day there.
How Plagge Farm Makes Money
Corn, soybeans and oats
Three cash crops spread price and weather risk. Food-grade oats add a specialty market.
Hogs and manure value
Hogs generate sales and manure, which replaces purchased fertilizer.
Consulting and farmer-owned milling
Green Acres Seed Co. sells soil health consulting, and ownership in a farmer-owned oat mill connects the farm to processing.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Plagge Farm
A third cash crop and manure-based fertility can cut input spending while improving soil. Grazing partnerships with neighbors add value without adding herd capital.
Farmer-owned processing can capture downstream value. The Plagges also show that a farm family can invest in the town that supports it.
Keeping a town grocery store alive while farming 4,000 acres is the kind of multitasking that makes a Latimer day look relaxed. The crew at farm.FM is fond of farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, and a family with oats, hogs and a hometown store provides plenty of kind material. We just hope someone stocks the good coffee.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
How to Contact Plagge Farm
No official operation website was found; this is the best verified public page about the operation. Confirm details before traveling or contacting.
Plagge Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Leopold Award announcement - Official 2025 Iowa award details
- Tri-State Livestock News - Independent coverage of the award
- Farm Progress feature - Conservation practices and results
- Practical Farmers of Iowa field day - Farm field day listing
- USDA NASS Iowa 2022 Census of Agriculture - State farm counts and hog inventory
Plagge Farm FAQ
Where is Plagge Farm?
In Latimer, Franklin County, Iowa.
What does it raise?
Corn, soybeans and food-grade oats, plus 10,000 hogs.
What award did it win?
The 2025 Iowa Leopold Conservation Award.
What is Green Acres Seed Co.?
A soil health consulting and cover crop planning business the Plagges started in 2020.
Plagge Farm combines grain, hogs and community investment at scale. Our Iowa farms guide shows the programs and markets behind operations like it.