Mike Ver Steeg, District 1

Mike Ver Steeg has farmed in Lyon County for 28 years. He produces corn and soybeans and raises hogs. On his farm they implement strip-till, no-till and cover crops. They also have a feed mill where they mix all their own feed for pigs and he is an owner in Wholestone Farms, a pork harvesting facility, and Greenstone, a farmer owned company to capture value in the carbon market.

Mike currently serves as the Iowa Corn Growers Association Director representing District 1 and as the Vice Chair of the Animal Agriculture & the Environment Committee.

He has served on the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, as an Iowa Farm Bureau Delegate to American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting and on the American Farm Bureau Livestock Committee. He has completed the American Farm Bureau PAL class and National Pork Producers Pork Leadership Institute. He was also recognized as an Iowa Pork Producers Pork All-American and Master Pork Producer and winner of Iowa Farm Bureau Achievement Award. Mike is an active member in the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Lyon County Farm Bureau, Lyon County Pork Producers, National Federation of Independent Business, New Life Church and has served as the West Lyon FFA Booster Club President, West Lyon Band Treasurer and as the Inwood Kiwanis President.

Mike has always been interested in the policy side of agriculture and believes he can use the training he has received from other farm organizations to promote policies that benefit Iowa corn growers. Mike wants to work to find ways for producers who have been long-time no-tillers or users of cover crops, to participate in carbon markets and find ways to be less dependent on foreign fertilizer and crop protection products. He also wants to continue to expand the use of corn for livestock farmers by expanding markets for pork and other livestock.

Mike and his wife Sarah have three children, Cody (Kaylee) who farms with them, Evan (Grace and grandson Phinehas) has a Masters in Divinity and works part-time at a church, and Ella attends North Central University for American Sign Language.