A Mount Vernon vegetable grower who established one of Iowa’s first community-supported agriculture programs will receive the 2026 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award from Practical Farmers of Iowa.
Laura Krouse, who operates Abbe Hills Farm, will be honored during the organization’s annual conference Jan. 10 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The award recognizes individuals demonstrating commitment to sustainable agriculture practices and community education.
“Laura is a true pioneer of Iowa’s local foods movement,” said Sally Worley, Practical Farmers of Iowa’s executive director. “For more than 30 years, she has poured her energy into feeding her community with fresh, nutritious food while showing what thoughtful, sustainable farming can look like.”
Ms. Krouse has operated Abbe Hills Farm since 1988, producing vegetables, corn, hay, soybeans and chickens. The farm’s CSA program has distributed approximately 57,600 produce shares to subscribers over three decades. The operation also supplies restaurants, retirement facilities and food distribution centers in eastern Iowa.
“Growing food is fun,” Ms. Krouse said. “It’s an honor to grow food people like to eat and that I know is good for them.”
Ms. Krouse holds undergraduate degrees in agronomy and farm management from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in agronomy focused on subsistence farming from the University of Florida. She credits fellow farmers in the Practical Farmers network with contributing to her agricultural knowledge.
“Everything I know, I’ve learned from connections I’ve made through PFI,” she said. “I just feel so lucky to know people who can figure things out, look at things differently and try something new.”
Practical Farmers of Iowa is a nonprofit organization with more than 9,000 members that provides education, research and technical assistance for regenerative farming practices.
