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Todd Western III traces his family’s Iowa farm to 1864, when, according to family history, ancestors who had gained freedom from enslavement in Virginia settled in Mahaska County. Western, a sixth-generation farmer, says the wish to tell that story helped lead him to co-found Iowa Farmers of Color and connect with other farmers. He describes his family farm as Iowa’s oldest Black-owned farm, but says that distinction is unofficial.
A family account rooted in 1864
In a January 2025 interview with Successful Farming, Western recounts that his ancestors were born enslaved in Virginia, gained their freedom and eventually made their way to Mahaska County, Iowa. He gives 1864 as the year the family established its Iowa farm. That account is family testimony, rather than a claim independently established by the available historical records.
The farm’s family history says Thomas and Susannah Western moved west, first settling near Buck Horn before relocating to Union Township in Mahaska County. Earlier generations raised livestock and grain and grew crops including corn and potatoes; the family page also mentions making butter and molasses. Western reflected on the difficulty of imagining a farm beginning in that place and period: “I couldn’t imagine, starting a farm in 1864, in the middle of Iowa during that time.”
Western calls it Iowa’s oldest Black-owned family farm, but qualifies that as his belief and says the distinction is unofficial. A John Deere profile also describes the farm in qualified terms; neither source establishes a statewide ranking. Iowa’s Heritage Farm designation recognizes family ownership maintained for at least 150 years, but that threshold alone does not verify a claim about which farm is oldest or establish ownership by race. The specific designation of the Western family is reported in the Successful Farming interview.
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Family continuity and the work today
The family’s about page describes Barbara Western taking an active leadership role after her husband, Todd Western Jr., died, and continuing to oversee day-to-day farm business. It also describes Todd Western III and other relatives’ involvement. In the interview, Western speaks of farming with family members and of the work as something sustained by commitment: “when you have a passion for something, it’s really not work.” The family’s long history is one of continuity, but not a reason to assume that every generation has farmed in the same way or under the same arrangements.
Why the family began changing its practices
Western says that around 2015 the family began adopting regenerative practices after learning about cost-share programs and building relationships with state agencies. He names no-till, more restricted fertilizer placement, cover crops, and prairie seeds on parts of the farm. He describes efficiency and soil conditions as considerations in the family’s decisions.
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Those are reported farm practices, not a measured comparison. The interview provides no before-and-after data on yields, soil, fuel use or costs, so it does not establish what results the changes produced or whether the same approach would suit another farm.
From telling one family story to building connections
Western says he first wanted to share his family’s history because he believes everyone has a story worth telling. “Everybody has a unique story that needs to be told,” he said. The response to his family’s story encouraged him to highlight other Black farmers and help them find peers. As he put it, “It’s lonely here. I want more company.”
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That impulse helped lead him to co-found Iowa Farmers of Color. In the interview, Western describes the organization as building community, sharing resources and helping farmers connect with state agencies. He also says it hosts conferences and educational sessions. Successful Farming reported that more than 120 farmers from across the country attended the group’s second annual conference in November 2024. That is a report about that specific event, not a measure of current membership or a guarantee of future programming.
What the Heritage Farm designation means
Iowa’s Heritage Farm designation is based on a family maintaining ownership for at least 150 years. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported that 240 families received the designation at the 2026 Iowa State Fair. That is a statewide count of recognized families, not a count of Black-owned farms.
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The state’s program description explains the age threshold, while the Successful Farming interview identifies the Western family as a recipient. These facts offer context for the farm’s longevity without independently confirming the interview’s unofficial “oldest” characterization.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.More context on Western’s account
A separate oral-history recording with Practical Farmers of Iowa, published through the StoryCorps archive, also features Western discussing the family’s 1864 settlement and the continued management of farms in Mahaska County and Waterloo. The archive dates the recording May 2, 2024; in the transcript, Western says it was recorded January 20, 2024. Those are different dates: the first is the archive’s publication date and the second is the recording date.
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