Yoder Family Farm in Missouri: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Yoder Family Farm, run by Joshlin and Addie Yoder near Leonard in Shelby County, Missouri, grows corn, soybeans and hay and raises beef cattle on about 1,100 acres. It earned the 2020 Missouri Leopold Conservation Award for building soil health into a farm designed to pass to the next generation.
| Location | Near Leonard, Shelby County, Missouri |
|---|---|
| Founded | Joshlin and Addie began operating the family farm in 2008 |
| Sectors | Corn; soybeans; hay; beef cattle |
| Scale | About 1,100 acres, per award coverage |
| Why it is elite | 2020 Missouri Leopold Conservation Award, with cover crops and data programs |
| Ownership | Family farm; families of Joshlin's father and brother farm nearby and share labor and equipment |
| Official website | KTTN news report on the Yoder family's Missouri Leopold Conservation Award |
History of Yoder Family Farm
Joshlin and Addie Yoder returned to the family farm in 2008. They made soil health a priority early, with the stated aim of ensuring productive land could be passed to future generations. They later expanded into beef cattle and added crop acres to reach about 1,100.
Joshlin's father and brother run their own farms, and the families pool labor and equipment. Addie also hosts the podcast Grace and Growth with Addie, speaks publicly, serves as a US Farmers and Ranchers in Action ambassador and volunteers with CommonGround to talk about farming with non-farm women.
What Yoder Family Farm Grows and Raises
The Yoders farm corn, soybeans and hay and run beef cattle. They use no-till or minimum tillage on soybean and corn acres to limit erosion and compaction, and cereal rye cover crops for weed control and to improve soil health and water quality.
They use precision technology and a 4R Nutrient Stewardship plan, and they take part in the Edge-of-Field program and the Soil Health Partnership, which collect soil test, weather and yield data on cover crops. Sharing farm data this way helps verify what works and informs the wider farming community.
How Yoder Family Farm Makes Money
Corn and soybeans
Grain crops form the cropping base on the farm's roughly 1,100 acres, managed with no-till and cover crops to hold soil and cut input losses.
Hay and beef cattle
Hay and beef cattle diversify the income and use the forage side of the farm. Details of marketing channels were not published in the sources used.
Shared labor and equipment
Pooling labor and equipment with relatives is a cost strategy rather than a sales channel, but it lowers the capital each family has to carry.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Yoder Family Farm
First lesson: start soil health early, even on a modest acreage. The Yoders made it a priority when they came back in 2008, which gave cover crops time to pay off.
Second lesson: join data programs. Edge-of-Field and the Soil Health Partnership give a young operator credible numbers. Third, share equipment and labor with family to keep fixed costs lower.
Few farms can claim a podcast host in the family, and fewer have a cover crop plan that includes cereal rye for weeds and a good story about it. For readers who enjoy farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, farm.FM is the place to go, and a Shelby County farm where several families share equipment surely has some stories about who borrowed what. The rye stays out of it.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
How to Contact Yoder Family Farm
Website: https://kttn.com/1joshlin-and-addie-yoder-receive-missouri-leopold-conservation-award
No official website was found for this operation, so the link above is the best verified public page about it. Confirm any visit or purchase with the operation directly.
Yoder Family Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- KTTN: Yoder family award report - News report on the Leopold award and the farm
- Central Missouri Info: Shelby County farmers - Local coverage of the Shelby County winners
- Central Missouri Info: Leonard farm family - Interview coverage of the family's award
- USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture: Missouri - Missouri farm counts, acreage, sales and operator data
- USDA FSA Missouri State Office - Farm loans, conservation and disaster programs in Missouri
Yoder Family Farm FAQ
Where is the Yoder family farm?
Near Leonard in Shelby County, Missouri.
How large is it?
Award coverage reports about 1,100 acres.
What does it raise?
Corn, soybeans, hay and beef cattle.
What award did it win?
The 2020 Missouri Leopold Conservation Award from Sand County Foundation and Missouri Farmers Care.
Yoder Family Farm shows how a young Missouri couple can build a soil health plan, join data programs and share resources with family. For the broader picture, see the Missouri farms guide on this site.